Old City Hall Building

San Diego's Old City Hall Building was constructed in the Italianate style in 1874, and features decorative brick arches on the exterior, as well as antique columns and a wrought iron cage elevator in the interior. This was the first building in San Diego to be constructed entirely from local materials. At different points in history, the Old City Hall Building has served as the San Diego Public Library, the City Chambers, and the City Jail. Most recently, it housed Florent, a trendy restaurant, as well as retail space on the ground level, plus loft-style apartments on the upper floors. The Old City Hall is listed among the historic buildings located within the Gaslamp Quarter, which was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Old City Hall Building is located in the San Diego's historic Gaslamp Quarter. In 1874, the building was originally constructed as a simpler, two-story structure in the Florentine Italianate style, which evokes the City of Florence, Italy. Thirteen years after its construction, however, in 1887 two additional stories were added in order to house the San Diego Public Library.

In 1891, the City of San Diego decided to buy the building while converting it into municipal government offices. The San Diego Police Department was based on the ground level, and the city's mayor and mayoral staff were based on the upper floors. The City Chambers were located on the fourth floor. By 1900, the entire city government had fully moved into the building. The municipal government continued to operate in this space for the next 35 years.

In 1955, stucco was applied to the exterior of the building in an attempt to modernize it. However, this was later removed, and the Old City Hall was restored to its former architectural character. In the ladies restroom on the first floor, there is a stall with unusual decor. This has been attributed to the fact that a wall was removed when the building was remodeled, but a secret exit that was used by former officials was left in place for historic value.

The Old City Hall Building was eventually converted into mixed-use retail and office space, with a restaurant named Florent on the ground level, and loft-style apartment residences above. Today, the building still features ornate, 16-foot ceilings and 12-foot windows with arched window frames, and a wrought-iron cage elevator in the interior. It is listed as one of the historic buildings within the Gaslamp Quarter, which is listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places.

Florent Transforms into Old City Hall!, Gaslamp Quarter. Accessed August 8th 2021. https://www.gaslamp.org/2018/08/florent-transforms-old-city-hall/.

Old City Hall - 1875, Gaslamp Foundation. Accessed August 8th 2021. https://gaslampfoundation.org/virtual-tour/old-city-hall-1874/.

Old City Hall, San Diego, GPS My City. Accessed August 8th 2021. https://www.gpsmycity.com/attractions/old-city-hall-15004.html.

Old City Hall with Flags and Bunting, 664 Fifth Avenue at G, San Diego.gov. Accessed August 8th 2021. https://www.sandiego.gov/digital-archives-photos/old-city-hall-flags-and-bunting-664-fifth-avenue-g.