VENTURA : City to Fete City Hall’s 20th Anniversary

Charles Manson and Jack Nicholson spent time there. So did Ma Duncan, who had hired killers to kidnap and murder her daughter-in-law.

Now it houses hundreds of Ventura employees who conduct city business from it every day.

The building at the top of California Street served as the Ventura County Courthouse from 1912 to 1969, when it was bought by the city of Ventura. After refurbishing, it opened in 1974 as Ventura’s City Hall.

On Saturday, city officials will celebrate the 20th anniversary of the move into the national historic landmark.

The building at 501 Poli St. first drew national attention in 1958 during the trial of Ma Duncan, who was convicted of killing her daughter-in-law. In the late 1960s, convicted mass slayer Manson was arraigned at the building on drunk driving charges. In 1989, actor Nicholson filmed part of “The Two Jakes” there.

The building, which sits atop a hillside in downtown Ventura, commands a view of the city and the ocean four blocks south. It houses most of the city’s offices, many of which will be open Saturday so residents have the opportunity to talk with city officials, city spokeswoman Carol Green said.

The building’s exterior design features four massive, fluted Doric columns and glazed terra-cotta tiles. The architectural style has been described as neoclassic revival, Roman Doric and French Renaissance. On the ground floor, Roman arched windows are topped by whimsical friar’s head keystones.

The foyer walls and floor are made of Carrara marble shipped from Italy, and the entry is decorated with a plaster ceiling of scallop shells, garlands of fruit and Art Deco lighting fixtures.

Ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. in the atrium on the first floor of City Hall, Green said. Music, refreshments and guided tours will be featured. Commemorative plates, pins and calendars will be available for purchase.

“The ceremony will be short and sweet because the purpose is to show off the building,” Green said.

Festivities are scheduled to last until 2 p.m. For information, call 654-7800.