8 - Venice City Hall  681 Venice Blvd.

8 - Venice City Hall

681 Venice Blvd.

In 1906, there was a power struggle between Abbot Kinney and Ocean Park’s Board of Trustees. When the residents passed a bond issue to finance a city hall, Kinney offered several parcels of land as a possible building site. Instead, the trustees accepted a remote site far removed from the commercial district. The city hall was called the imperial palace at Tokio because it was a long way to go for civic activities.

The Venice City Hall, designed by architects Garrett and Bixby in the Spanish Mission style, opened in 1907. Architectural details included tiled cross gable roofs, tower, parapet and double hung windows topped by a transom. Historic photographs show ornate mission style detailing that was removed after the 1933 earthquake. The building is now the home of Beyond Baroque, a literary center.

The Venice City Hall became Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument #749 on 6/3/2003.