New Peralta Theatre
1488 14th Street,
Oakland,
CA
94607
1488 14th Street,
Oakland,
CA
94607
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Additional Info
Architects: Allen J. Yerrick
Functions: Housing
Styles: Mission Revival
Nearby Theaters
The New Peralta Theatre was opened in 1915. After closing in 1953, it became a church.
It was all but destroyed by a fire on September 27, 2004. The remains still stand in 2009 and have been repurposed for housing.
Contributed by
William Gabel
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Recent comments (view all 9 comments)
The New Peralta Theater was built in 1915 for Wallace Clark, a real estate magnate; the architect was Allen J. Yerrick. It was a Mission Revival-style theater that operated until 1953; soon afterwards it was converted into the Mt. Zion Spiritual Temple, a very prominent Black church (particularly in the 1960’s and 1970’s)founded by “King” Louis Narcisse. It remains a church today, though apparently not Mt. Zion.
A sign on the New Peralta reads WEST COAST KINGDOM—-MT. ZION SPIRITUAL TEMPLE—-apparently the church is, contrary to speculations in my initial post, still known as Mt. Zion.
Some terrible news to report—-the former New Peralta, more recently Mt. Zion Spiritual Temple—-was severely damaged by a fire this past September 27. Though the church intends to rebuild, the building’s future is very much in doubt.
Looks like another treasure lost.
Update—-As of November 2, the burned-out former New Peralta was still standing; its future still remains in doubt.
This was taken a few years ago. The aerial view of the roof shows severe damage.
http://tinyurl.com/yghpfea
Went by there recently on the bus and repair/renovation work seemed to be occurring (FINALLY!). Not sure if it’ll be a church again though.
Motion Picture Herald, Aug. 16, 1952: “The 450-seat New Peralta in Oakland, closed by William Garren, June 21, was set to be reopened August 10 by Robert Wells.”
The theatre and the adjacent building were reimagined as the 6 unit Peralta Theatre Lofts. In the photo I’ve uploaded, Unit F, on the left is the former theatre and boasts 12 foot ceilings among other amenities.