Town Hall, 1911
Town Hall, 2011
When the Town of San Anselmo was incorporated in 1907, the Board of Trustees, as Town Council was called then, met in leased space in a building on the east side of today’s Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. The fire department’s hose and chemical wagon was next door. In 1910, the owners of the property announced that rent would double to $8 per month for the fire department and $15 for town hall. At first the trustees thought they would move town hall on rollers to another site, but instead moved into leased space in Pioneer Hall on Ross Avenue. That building still exists at 21 Ross Avenue.
In August 1910, the town accepted James Tunstead’s donation of land on which to build a new town hall and fire house. The Mission style building, with a lofty bell tower, was completed and ready for business in June 1911. It is shown here shortly after construction. The architect was W. Garden Mitchell, a San Anselmo resident; the construction cost was $5,291.
San Anselmo’s population increased dramatically after WWII, and an administrative wing was added to conduct the growing town business in the 1950s. The wing is shown in the 1955 and 1978 photographs.
The words “town” and “city” are synonymous in California law, and the terms seemed to have been used interchangeably in the early years of the town even though the official name was Town of San Anselmo. The name was changed to City of San Anselmo in 1955, reflecting how the citizens wished their growing community to be viewed at that time.
Ordinance #690 of April 24, 1975 reversed this after 649 residents signed a petition to change the name back to Town of San Anselmo as it was viewed as more in keeping with the character of the community. Today, San Anselmo is one of 22 of the 481 incorporated municipalities in California called town.
In 1978-79, the town hall complex underwent a major remodel. The fire department moved to new quarters, the administrative wing and old fire department were demolished and a new 2-story building was constructed for the administrative offices. The council chambers remained in their original location. The ground floor council chambers and police department faced major repair again in 2007 following the flood of 2005. In 2014, the roof of the tower was restored to its original square hip design and damaged framing and balusters were replaced. See this article for more information on this project.
Town Hall Tower, 2014
Today, Sugarfoot, the beloved cast-iron deer, graces the lawn at Town Hall as he has since 1963. What a pleasant place to sit and watch the activities of downtown San Anselmo!