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EAGLE ROCK
4516 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
WEST ADAMS
4772 1/2 W Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
hello@acme-re.com
323.274.4332
Schedule a discovery call
EAGLE ROCK
4516 Eagle Rock Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90041
WEST ADAMS
4772 1/2 W Adams Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90016
Written by: Corigan Kushma
Photos by: Lauren Purves
Ventura’s City Hall strikes awe every time you pass by—sitting regal and bright at the top of the hill, overlooking the ocean and the heart of downtown. This building is a special piece of iconic architecture with an incredible history.
Ventura’s City Hall strikes awe every time you pass by
It was designed in 1912 by notable Los Angeles architect Albert C. Martin, originally as the Ventura County Courthouse. You may know his other works: Los Angeles City Hall, the Million Dollar Theater, and Grauman’s Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, among others.
This Neoclassical courthouse was designed in the Beaux-Arts style. A grand granite staircase leads to the ornate bronze front gates. The façade is covered in white-glazed terra cotta panels, fluted Doric columns, Roman-arched windows, and topped with a copper-sheathed dome and cupola. Most notably, twenty-four carved terra cotta friars’ face keystones sit above the first-story windows. The hooded, mischievous faces are a nod to San Buenaventura’s history, being one of the nine original Mission towns founded by Father Junípero Serra and the Franciscan friars in 1782.
The interiors also do not disappoint. The entrance lobby features floor-to-ceiling Italian marble, imported from the world-renowned quarries of Carrara. The second-floor courtroom—now the City Council chambers—boasts carved mahogany woodwork, walnut paneling, three stained-glass skylight domes, and arched windows overlooking the city and ocean.
Inside and out, the building is decorated with lima beans—Ventura County’s cash crop at the time.
Inside and out, the building is decorated with lima beans—Ventura County’s cash crop at the time. The largest lima bean ranch in the world was located here, producing three-fourths of the world’s supply. Locals often boasted that their impressive courthouse was “built by lima beans”—about $280,000 worth, the cost of construction at the time.
Tragically, in 1969 the courthouse was deemed seismically unsound and was slated for demolition. It’s hard to believe we almost lost this piece of history and craftsmanship. Fortunately, the City of Ventura was willing to take on the enormous project of preserving this architectural gem. They purchased the building from the county for $145,000 and invested another $2.7 million to make it safe for use. It reopened as Ventura City Hall in 1973. It was designated a California State Landmark and added to the National Register of Historic Places, paving the way for a major restoration in 1988. A generous $11 million was invested to preserve this iconic structure to the glorious state it’s in today, and we’re lucky to have it…
San Buenaventura was named in 1782 after the Italian Saint Bonaventure, who is associated with “good fortune”—hence Ventura’s nickname: the “City of Good Fortune.” Next time you pass by, take a moment to appreciate all the good fortune it took to have City Hall standing there today.