Santa Monica City Hall
1685 Main Street
Built 1938, designated 1979
The Art Deco-style City Hall was partially financed by the federal Public Works Administration. Designed by Donald Parkinson and J. M. Estep, the building is a concrete structure in the Classical Moderne style, popular in the 1930s and 1940s, and carries a nautical tone to suit this oceanside community. The entrance is decorated with colorful tile work by the local Gladding McBean Tile Company. The lobby murals designed by Stanton MacDonald-Wright were installed under the auspices of the Federal Arts Project. This building provided jobs and pride to the community during the Great Depression, and it is a standing tribute to cooperation among residents, city officials and the federal government.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on June 24, 2019. Read the original PDF.