Anecdotes from the Archives

December 24, 2018 10:30 AM
by Miranda Iglesias

This article originally appeared in the November-December edition of Seascape. 

In 1875, Santa Monica was an unincorporated part of L.A. County, and therefore couldn’t self-govern. Eleven years later in 1886, on a second vote, residents passed a law to incorporate.

Five trustees were elected to run the first Santa Monica City government, and they immediately appointed others to help keep order and to pass ordinances that helped ensure the City’s safety and cleanliness.

Their early meetings were held at the Santa Monica Hotel, then located at Colorado and Ocean Avenues, and the Rapp Saloon, at its original location at 1438 Second Street. Rent at the beer hall was $35/month.

Eventually, in 1903, a building dedicated to City offices was built at Fourth and Oregon (now Santa Monica Boulevard) at a cost of $38,000. A City charter was adopted and seven council members and a mayor (none of whom were full-time government employees) were assisted by three elected commissioners to run the City.

In 1938, the City took advantage of federal funds provided by the Public Works Administration to build a new City Hall at its current location, 1685 Main Street. Designed by architects Donald B. Parkinson and Joseph M. Estep, it combined the architectural styles of Streamline Moderne and Art Deco (also known as WPA Moderne), the style widely used in WPA projects.

Throughout the building and at its entrance are Gladding McBean hand-crafted ceramic tiles. These beautiful tiles are also found in other public buildings including the Wrigley Building (Chicago) and Carnegie Hall (New York City), and in Los Angeles at the Bullock’s-Wilshire department store, Union Station and Los Angeles City Hall. The lobby also features historic Stanton MacdonaldWright murals documenting the City’s and the state’s histories. Inlaid on the floor is the City seal, featuring a mermaid and Spanish galleon on the bay, with sun, mountains, clouds, airplanes and the date of founding, 1875. A ribbon near its base carries the City’s motto, “Populus Felix en Urbe Felice,” Latin for “Fortunate People in a Fortunate Land.”

The building is a local designated landmark, is on the California Register of Historical Resources, and is eligible for listing in the federal Register of Historic Places.

For additional information, please contact the Santa Monica Conservancy at info@smconservancy.org.

Sources: Santa Monica: A History on the Edge by Paula Scott, and the Santa Monica Public Library Image Archives.

Authored By

Miranda Iglesias
Public Information Coordinator