Vignette > City Hall

Dedication Ceremony – click to enlarge

In October 1935, during the Great Depression, Mill Valley voters approved a bond issue to construct a new City Hall. The Town Hall/Fire house built in 1908 had become inadequate. In December 1935, the old building and an adjacent building were demolished, and construction of the new building began. The new City Hall was dedicated on August 1, 1936. It housed the fire department, the police department, the city offices, and Council chambers. The City Hall’s architectural characteristics are of the Tudor style.  One of the style’s identifying features is the steeply pitched cross-gabled roof.  Also, the front-facing gables act as a dominant feature.  Other common characteristics include Medieval English decorative details such as half-timbered wall surfaces, Tudor arch entries, and walls comprised of stucco and brickwork.  The Tudor style revival came about in 1890, reached optimum popularity in the 1920s and came to a close shortly after World War II.  In 1975, the Council chambers were renovated. In  1978 an east wing was constructed. In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake called for action. Brickwork was reinforced along with seismic and other structural upgrades.  The bonds issued in 1935 were paid off in December 1960.