HomeMy WebLinkAbout0001_1_City Hall Centennial Legistar Proclamation
RECOGNITION OF THE SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO
CITY HALL 100 YEAR ANNIVERSARY
November 9, 2020
WHEREAS, South San Francisco was incorporated in 1908 and the City Trustees met at
a temporary location at 310 Linden Avenue to conduct City business including planning for a more
permanent structure; and
WHEREAS, in 1917, a committee was formed to study the means for financing a City Hall
and eventually Werner and Coffey of San Francisco and their design, inspired by Philadelphia’s
Independence Hall, built in the neo‐colonial Georgian style, was selected; and
WHEREAS, on June 10, 1919, the voters approved, by a 4‐to‐1 majority, a $129,000 bond
issue which included the construction of City Hall and the extension of sewer lines to the Industrial
area; and because of post-World War I inflation, the construction was delayed as conservative
city trustees waited for prices to drop, finally awarding the construction contract to Larsen‐
Sampson Company; and
WHEREAS, the new City Hall, located at 400 Grand Avenue, was completed in 1920 at a
cost of $125,000 and on November 11, 1920, thousands turned out in the rain to view a grand
Armistice Day parade and their beautiful new City Hall; and
WHEREAS, City Hall has housed most city departments, the municipal and superior
courts, the City Council chambers, and in the early days, the Police Department, which occupied
three rooms on the main floor, including one for the jail, and the Fire Department, was housed in
the basement, and included living quarters, and a garage for the engine; and
WHEREAS, while much of the interior of the City Hall has been updated over the years
to meet the evolving needs of the community, very little of the exterior has been changed; and
South San Francisco City Hall has been the subject of many magazine articles, appeared on the
covers of local telephone books, featured as a background for several movies and served as the
topic of endless newspaper articles since it was dedicated in 1920; and
WHEREAS, the history and beauty of this architectural gem will always be a source of
pride for the citizens of South San Francisco as is shown by City Hall being designated the first
official Historic Resource recognized by the City of South San Francisco; and
WHEREAS, we are celebrating the Centennial Anniversary of the South San Francisco
City Hall, which plays such an important role in the community;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that Mayor Richard Garbarino and the City
Council of the City of South San Francisco do hereby recognize the 100 Year Anniversary of the
South San Francisco City Hall on November 11, 2020 and applaud the vision and dedication of
past and current City leaders in creating and maintaining a City Hall relevant to the needs of the
community while retaining its historic beauty and look forward to another 100 years of history
making.