Historic Register Tour

HISTORIC NAME	City Hall
COMMON NAME	Old Spokane City Hall
DATE BUILT	1912-13
ARCHITECT/BUILDER	Julius Zittel
PROPERTY STYLE	Chicago/Commercial Style
ON THE SPOKANE REGISTER	Yes - added 9/26/88
ON THE NATIONAL REGISTER	No
IN A DISTRICT	Yes - added 2/21/85
DISTRICT	No
NEIGHBORHOOD	Riverside

STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

This building was erected to serve as the temporary home of City Hall in 1912-1913, when railroad construction required demolition of the previous City Hall building. The City of Spokane expected to occupy this building for no more than five years, so no effort was made on ornamentation; its exterior was plain and its interior designed to be turned into a warehouse if expedient. Instead, it served as the seat of city government for more than seventy years, and as such was the site of many events that have had an important impact on the historic and social fabric of the region. As a public building in everyday use, the Old City Hall was maintained in good operating condition, and was never altered significantly. It remains much the same as built, a well-preserved legacy of the Commercial Style and Chicago School of architecture, as interpreted by noted local architect Julius Zittel. This building served as City Hall until 1982, when the city offices were moved into the Montgomery Ward Building at Post Street and Spokane Falls Boulevard. It has been renovated for office and commercial space.