Naval Industrial Reserve Forge Plant, Berkeley


Historic California Posts, Camps, Stations and Airfields
Naval Industrial Reserve Forge Plant, Berkeley


US Army Corps of Engineers Sacramento District History (1994)
Location: Located at 735 Ashby Avenue, Berkeley.
Site History: On 9 February 1942, the Navy Department acquired 2.46 fee acres (American Forge and Foundry, Inc.) by Declaration of Taking. Another 0.48 acre was acquired but records do not indicate when, how, or where. Total acreage acquired for the site was 2.94. The site was known as Naval Industrial Reserve Forge Plant, Berkeley; Naval Industrial Reserve Plant (NObs-13); and Naval Industrial Reserve Forge Plant (NObs-13), CA. It is situated in Alameda County, CA. The Navy used the site as a steel forge facility. Improvements consisted of administrative buildings, furnace control houses, water tank & tower, water cooling tower, electric crane, oil tanks (above and underground), transformer building oil pump house and forgings building. On 18 June 1963,2.94 fee acres were quitclaimed to Lerner Investment Co. subject to right-of-way and easement restrictions. There are no recapture rights. Mr. Phelps Dodge of Airco, Inc. acquired the sitein 1965 and added a high temperature furnace and a large bank if transformers. Barker Machinery purchased the property in January 1978 for wholesaling large machinery. The current owners are Timothy and Susan Southwick, who purchased the site in May 1987 for use as a car dealership.