Framåt Lodge #405 (Vasa Order)
Berkeley, Alameda County, California
Marker Inscription
CITY OF BERKELEY LANDMARK designated in 1997. FRAMÅT LODGE #405 Sanford G. Jackson, Architect, 1927. Berkeley’s large immigrant population in the late 19th and early 20th centuries included many natives of Sweden. The local chapter of the Swedish-American Vasa Order constructed this building as a lodge hall and cultural center. On November 8, 1927, Prince William of Sweden laid the cornerstone, proclaiming, “Through the magic of the melting pot you are becoming Americans and I can only admonish you to be good Swedes but even better Americans.” Framåt, the name of both the Berkeley chapter and lodge building, means “forward looking” in Swedish. The Depression devastated the construction industry in which many local Swedish-Americans worked and by 1932 the Vasa Order had lost the building. The building’s facade has polychrome pressed brick detailing and terra cotta trim. It is a good example of the Classical Revival style commonly used for commercial and institutional architecture during the early decades of the 20th century. Berkeley Historical Plaque Project 1998
Erected by Berkeley Historical Plaque Project
The Story
Completed in 1927, this Classical Revival hall was built by the Swedish-American Vasa Order as a lodge and cultural center for Berkeley's sizable community of Swedish immigrants. At the cornerstone laying, Prince William of Sweden urged the members to become "good Swedes but even better Americans." The Depression soon devastated the building trades many local Swedish-Americans worked in, and by 1932 the order had lost the hall it named Framåt — "forward looking."
Why it matters
The lodge embodies the immigrant experience of building community and holding on to old-country identity while assimilating into American life — and how quickly the Depression could sweep such gains away.
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Related people
- · Sanford G. Jackson
- · Prince William of Sweden
Themes & tags
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