HomeMy WebLinkAboutSLOJX Visiting City HallVisiting City Hall
Joseph A. Carotenuti
City Hall for most residents is a building rarely visited or even considered important in
daily life. For some, it’s where meetings (often televised) are held on topics important to
someone. However, whether for business, meetings, or to report for work, walking its
halls provides an opportunity for everyone to (re)discover some of our earlier history.
Here’s the story.
City Hall itself has attained an age where “vintage” is an apt description. Built in 1952 by
local builder Allan Ochs at a total cost (land, plans, construction, and furnishings) of
under $400,000, various rejuvenations have exceeded the initial investment in this second
City Hall by a considerable amount.
Along the corridor walls are pictures and brief descriptions (with some inaccuracies) of
just a few events from the past including one that became the genesis for the current
structure deserving some explanation.
Pioneer San Luis Obispo was a “pay as you go” operation with few reserves and certainly
no funds to build a municipal center. The Common Council (today’s City Council) met
wherever space was available including in a member’s store. After the County built its
courthouse (1873), the city officials used that space. Finally after incorporation as a City
(1876), the decision was made to take advantage of state funds dedicated to communities
building a city hall. In fact, what resulted was a fire station on the ground floor with all
other city functions upstairs. The City Clerk was the main occupant as most officials
often worked from their business or home.
When the time came to select a site, fourteen different proposals were presented to the
City Council. Thus, the location could have been in various spots – mostly along
Monterey & Higuera Streets. The final choice was actually half of two lots owned by
Max Pepperman and the Goldtree family. Opened in 1878, the building featured two
large ground level double doors for fire equipment with a center stairway leading to
second floor offices. Atop the building was the tower to hold the alarm bell. When rung –
quite often given the predominantly wooden structures – the volunteers would rush to
hitch the horses and/or pull equipment to the fire. In 1938, they didn’t have to go
far…the tower was ablaze. Thus, the picture in the hallway.
Never ones to rush into spending non-existent funds, officials conducted business in the
damaged structure although public meetings were held at the nearby Masonic Lodge. In
1948, the decision was made to sell the building and lot for $37,000. Today’s address -
867 Higuera Street – has no marker identifying the historic site. The small jail added to
the back survived the razing of the building and is still used in the modern business.
Two hotel pictures in the municipal lobby are familiar to even the most casual student of
local history. The Andrews and Ramona Hotels represent more than an historic tradition
of extending hospitality to travelers. Both met an inevitable blazing end (the Andrews a
mere eight months after opening and the Ramona in 1905) given cooking fires and gas
lamps inside the buildings. The fire “laddies” could do little but watch. The San Luis
Band, then and now a mark of the community’s love of music, poses during the opening
day ceremonies.
Capitalizing on increased rail passengers, the Ramona Hotel was built by the Southern
Pacific Railroad Company in 1896. Train passengers were met by increasingly
competitive drivers for a horse-drawn trip to the hotel. One such carriage is preserved on
the Dallidet Adobe grounds. When Presidents McKinley (1901) and Roosevelt (1903)
made brief rail stops, it was from the hotel’s front porch each greeted the community.
While fine examples of nineteenth century commercial architecture, more importantly,
however, the hotels signify a community’s growing prosperous enough to entertain the
notion that non-residents should (or would want to) stay in town. From mission
settlement to railroad center, San Luis Obispo had always been a temporary place to rest
as travelers trekked the trails or rode the rails to the more popular destinations in the
north or south ends of the state.
J. P. Andrews learned from his expensive mistake (insurance – if any – was minimal) and
constructed the Andrews Banking Company building of brick at the turn of the century.
Home to the first municipal library on the second floor, the building is a City gem located
at the corner of Monterey and Osos Streets. In the City Hall photo, C. W. Palmer,
undertaker, peers somberly at the camera in front of his business in the building.
Requiring a keen eye (a magnifying glass would help), another turn of the century
photograph of San Luis Obispo taken from Telegraph Hill captures the community of
about 5000…25% of the entire county’s population. Then – as now – the Mission
occupies a central location with the newly opened California Polytechnic School visible
to the left. The school’s architect, W. H. Weeks, was responsible for the also newly
opened Carnegie Free Library (1904) next to the Mission. A panorama photo of the
valley has an “unidentified” man sitting on a rock. He is Charles H. Johnson, a legendary
founder of the community.
There are several other pictures of the early days of the community. At another time,
we’ll go inside the Council Chambers to look at images on the rear walls not seen by
viewers during televised meetings.
In the meanwhile, whenever the occasion arises, take a few minutes to stroll through city
hall not as a municipal building but as a local mini-history lesson. Youngsters are
certainly welcome.
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