Time draws near for Kenney cottage

Kenney cottage on the move (photo: Jerry Sulliger, August 2003)

A year ago, BAHA assumed responsibility for finding a permanent home for the Kenney-Meinheit cottage, a prefabricated panel house whose design was patented by William H. Wrigley in 1881, may be the oldest existing example of this type of prefab construction in America, according to Howard Decker, Chief Curator of the National Building Museum in Washington, D.C. The cottage is a a designated City of Berkeley Stucture of Merit. At one time it was the home of James Kenney, Berkeley’s first fire chief.

Unfortunately, a site has yet to present itself. This cottage would ideally serve as a museum or display structure; it is not suitable for residential use, as any code upgrade would adulterate its historic integrity.

Time is drawing short. The cottage is currently sitting on a City of Berkeley lot at 1275 University Avenue. The city is asking us to move it as soon as possible.

Do you have ideas or would like to get involved?
Call BAHA at (510) 841-2242.