The HISTORY
Phoenix Iron Works was founded in 1901 by William Russell. They started out making engine parts and cast-iron bases for skyscrapers in San Francisco. In 1906, William was watching San Francisco burn, days after the earthquake, from the roof of his foundry at the edge of the bay when he fell through a hole in the roof. He died soon after.
The BUILDING
His son, Samuel Russell, then took over the business, at the age of eighteen, and expanded its influence in the Bay Area. When Samuel died in 1966, his son, aptly named Weldon, took over the family business. He remains the owner of Phoenix Iron Works to this day. In the late sixties, the final hurrah of America’s manufacturing base, Phoenix employed 125 people. Since then, the workforce has whittled down as the times required. In 1968, Russell had to move his foundry from the giant plot his grandfather built up(pictured), that once occupied four city blocks, to a site in West Oakland by way of an eminent domain claim. He was then evicted from that property and now has a small office building near the 5th Avenue Marina.
Like many of the former factories and warehouses in the Jack London Square neighborhood, the original foundry was converted into condominiums.
Located at 737 Second Street in the western sector of Oakland’s Jack London District, the live/work units in the Phoenix Lofts are authentic industrial loft conversions, once the home of the Phoenix Iron Works. Completed in 2000, The Phoenix Lofts’ design retains a sense of the old foundry, while the inside has been converted into a mixed-use, live/work loft building with plenty of modern luxuries.
Designed by Thomas Dolan Architecture, space emboides the hard loft characteristics of exposed concrete, ductwork, and bricks coupled with large windows and flexible, open floor plans. The twenty-nine units in The Phoenix Lofts range from 1,000 to 1,800 square feet; and amenities a community roof deck, common courtyards protected by large skylights, hardwood floors, and state-of-the-art kitchens.
We are within walking distance of great dining, entertainment, and the Oakland Ferry Building, which provides daily ferry service between Oakland and San Francisco. There are two BART stations within a 20 minute walk. Interstate-880 is just minutes away and links the Jack London Square district with San Francisco and other Bay Area destinations.