Sacramento City Hall, 915 I St Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA
Sacramento`s City Hall was completed in 1911 on what was then the fringe area of the old commercial district. The new City Hall structure was the first municipal building in Sacramento to house all city government offices under one roof. At that time, the city employed approximately 500 people. City Hall was originally to have included the receiving hospital, city prison and police station, a common practice in other municipalities. But other cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, had dropped these facilities from their recently constructed City Halls. Sacramento`s Mayor M.R. Beard, wanting to emulate these more progressive cities, therefore deleted the hospital and police facilities from the new building. The City Fathers felt this change would provide a more inviting public atmosphere. The central tower of the building with its four clock faces became a useful landmark. The low silhouette of the Plaza Park trees and the relatively young plantings along "I" Street allowed the clocks to be viewed from a much greater distance than today. A newspaper of the time noted how the trolley motormen would check their watches against the clocks as they passed City Hall. City Hall is the finest representative of the Beaux Art style in Sacramento. It is sited dramatically opposite Plaza Park which serves as an attractive and appropriate landscape setting. Designed by Rudolph Herold, who was a skilled local architect of considerable virtuosity, the structure combines both exuberance and dignity into a distinguished civil work. The building continues today as the center of city government.
Sacramento City Hall, 915 I St Sacramento, Sacramento County, CA
Sacramento`s City Hall was completed in 1911 on what was then the fringe area of the old commercial district. The new City Hall structure was the first municipal building in Sacramento to house all city government offices under one roof. At that time, the city employed approximately 500 people. City Hall was originally to have included the receiving hospital, city prison and police station, a common practice in other municipalities. But other cities such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, had dropped these facilities from their recently constructed City Halls. Sacramento`s Mayor M.R. Beard, wanting to emulate these more progressive cities, therefore deleted the hospital and police facilities from the new building. The City Fathers felt this change would provide a more inviting public atmosphere. The central tower of the building with its four clock faces became a useful landmark. The low silhouette of the Plaza Park trees and the relatively young plantings along "I" Street allowed the clocks to be viewed from a much greater distance than today. A newspaper of the time noted how the trolley motormen would check their watches against the clocks as they passed City Hall. City Hall is the finest representative of the Beaux Art style in Sacramento. It is sited dramatically opposite Plaza Park which serves as an attractive and appropriate landscape setting. Designed by Rudolph Herold, who was a skilled local architect of considerable virtuosity, the structure combines both exuberance and dignity into a distinguished civil work. The building continues today as the center of city government.
Posted Date
Sep 28, 2021
Source Name
Library of Congress
