Silva's Hall

At the corner of 10th and I streets, kitty corner from the current market, stood Silva's Hall. It was built in around the turn of the last century, and was used as a dance hall, an early silent movie theater and a meeting hall for a number of local societies. Peter Decoto said that it was built in 1895, but newspaper reports puts it closer to 1902. The 1926 Sanborn map shows it as a meeting place for Irmandade do Divono Espirito Santo (I.D.E.S.) and Uniao Portuguese do Estado da California (UPEC), two Portuguese fraternal organizations.

The hall was built by Albert Silva and had a stage with a drop curtain. The Oakland Tribune reported on November 1, 1902, "At present a medicine company is occupying it for a week, and presenting a good show. The baby contest has got to be quite exciting and more excitement is promised for Saturday night, when a ladies nail-driving contest is to take place." Over the years the hall was used frequently as was reported in local papers. A report from 1914, said that 200 people occupied the hall for an event.

By 1943, the building was unused and basically abandoned. The Alvarado Pioneer of November 5, 1953, reported that the building was burned in a fire and had to be taken down.