Old City Hall (Gilroy, California)

Old City Hall
Old City Hall is located in California
Old City Hall
Old City Hall
Location7410 Monterey Street, Gilroy, California
Coordinates37°00′26″N 121°34′07″W / 37.00722°N 121.56861°W / 37.00722; -121.56861
Built1905
ArchitectSamuel Newsom, Wolfe and McKenzie
Architectural styleMission Revival
NRHP reference No.75000480
Added to NRHPApril 16, 1975[1]

The Old City Hall is a historical building built in 1905, and once served as a courthouse, the mayor's office, a jail, a clerk office, and fire department.[2][3][4] The building is located at 7410 Monterey Street in Gilroy, California.[2] It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places listings in Santa Clara County, California since April 16, 1975.[4] The building is a good example of Californian architecture and the Mission Revival style at the turn of the century.[4] It was nicknamed the "Grand Old Lady".[5]

History

The Old City Hall building was designed by architect Samuel Newsom, with help from architectural firm of Wolfe and McKenzie of San Jose.[4][6] The lower level is made of greystone, second story of white brick topped with terra cotta coping and a red tile roof.[4] The rustic stone exterior is reminiscent of the earlier Richardsonian Romanesque-era and some of the original architecture found at nearby Stanford University.[2][4] There is a double golden oak stair in the entry of the building.[4] The top of the building has a large clock tower, the clock itself is over 100 years old and has been repaired many times.[7]

The 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake caused structural damages to the building, which were later repaired.[2] In recent years the building has been used to house local restaurants.[8][9]

See also

References

  1. ^ "NPGallery Digital Asset Management System". National Park Service. U.S. Department of the Interior.
  2. ^ a b c d "National Register #75000480: Old Gilroy City Hall in California". noehill.com. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  3. ^ Shueh, Sam (2008). South Santa Clara County. Arcadia Publishing. p. 8. ISBN 978-0-7385-5845-5.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Aver, William E. (1975). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory - Nomination Form, Old City Hall". National Park Service, U.S. Department of the Interior. Retrieved 2020-01-07.
  5. ^ Bergheim, Laura (1997-04-01). An American Festival of World Capitals: From Garlic Queens to Cherry Parades. Wiley. p. 82. ISBN 978-0-471-14350-5.
  6. ^ "Bay Area Architects: Samuel and Joseph Cather Newsom". noehill.com. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  7. ^ "Time stands still at Old City Hall". Gilroy Dispatch. 2019-01-04. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  8. ^ "Tell Us about Old City Hall Restaurant". Gilroy, CA Patch. 2013-03-07. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
  9. ^ "Turn Old City Hall into a downtown Gilroy Visitors Center". Gilroy Dispatch. 2005-02-08. Retrieved 2021-01-08.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Old City Hall, Gilroy, California.