City Hall was integral to Burbank history

CRAIG BULLOCK

Steady progress, growth and expansion marked the early years after

Burbank’s incorporation as a city in 1911. This period also marked

the end of the agricultural era that had been the staple of Burbank’s

economy. Burbank, along with the rest of the region, saw substantial

changes with a growing population, new businesses and the

transformation into a city, albeit a small one. Burbank’s maturation

into a city was made evident by the construction of its first City

Hall.

Burbank constructed its first City Hall on the corner of Olive

Avenue and Third Street, directly across the street from today’s City

Hall. Constructed in 1916 at a cost of $13,340, the two-story “rug”

brick building had a full basement and housed the offices of the

city’s essential services. Upon completion of the building, the city

trustees (Burbank’s form of government prior to the ratification of

the city charter) moved in and quickly began to govern the city. The

location of the building was in Burbank’s growing downtown and was

surrounded by other brick buildings, which early Burbankers nicknamed

the “Brick Block.”

The two-story brick building was trimmed in ornate cement moldings

that gave the building a regal look reminiscent of Greek mythology, a

commonly found architectural style in many government buildings. On

the second story of the structure above the main entrance was a large

Palladian window that illuminated the interior foyer and courthouse.

Above the Palladian window was a thick band of ornate molding, which

proudly displayed, in large letters, “CITY HALL.” Two large columns

flanked the Palladian window. Another set of columns functioned as

light fixture poles and were crowned by white globes at the

building’s stepped entryway.

The building’s square windows had built-in retractable awnings to

shield the offices from the hot summers. Medallions were affixed on

the moldings that topped each of the buildings eight square windows

that faced Olive Avenue. It was an attractive building and a source

of pride for the young city. Besides aesthetics, the building was

remarkably efficient by the standards of the day and housed quite a

number of city offices and essential services.

By 1920, the number of residents in Burbank had grown to 2,913,

who were served by 150 city employees. Efforts to increase public

safety were addressed by the creation of the fire and police

departments. Both the fire and police departments were housed in City

Hall.

The fire department faced Third Street and could be easily

identified by two large white doors that opened up into the

firehouse. The two large white doors swung open to allow the easy

exit of the fire truck. Even though the firehouse was spacious enough

for two fire trucks, Burbank only had one in 1916. The demand for a

full-time fire department did not exist in those years and Burbank,

like many cities of the day, relied on volunteers to staff the fire

department. In addition to fighting fires, which was not a frequent

occurrence, volunteers performed various other duties such as brush

clearance and weed abatement for which they received 35 cents an

hour. In 1923, when the city hired Homer Davis as fire chief, his

duties included organization of the volunteers, fire truck driver,

janitor and city forester. In 1928, the fire department was made into

a full-time workforce.

The police department also consisted of a small force and mostly

occupied the basement of City Hall, which housed the city’s jail. The

jail held approximately half a dozen people, who could be escorted to

the second story courthouse. In 1923, the city marshal’s office was

converted to the police chief’s office and occupied by the city’s

first police chief, George Cole.

In addition to housing the police and fire departments, the first

City Hall functioned as the seat of government for the young city.

The city’s trustees governed Burbank while a city charter was being

written. This group proved to be very effective in administering the

city in the early years and were responsible for such accomplishments

as enticing Moreland Truck Factory to locate its manufacturing plant

in Burbank, as well as ensuring that the Pacific Electric Line, the

Red Car, extended to Burbank. This form of government was used in

Burbank until January 1927, when Burbankers voted to approve and the

California Legislature ratified Burbank’s city charter. Burbank’s

population by that time had reached slightly more than 3,500 people.

Many significant events that shaped Burbank’s growth were decided

in that building. Such issues as whether or not the city of Burbank

should merge with the city of Los Angeles, the creation of the

Burbank Fire Department, banning of outhouses, and the expansion of

water wells are just a few examples. Another decision made in that

building was to approve the construction of a new City Hall directly

across the street, today’s City Hall. The original City Hall

functioned as additional city office space until it was torn down

Oct. 1, 1959, and replaced with the then-new police headquarters

building. While gone, its significance in history is not.

* CRAIG BULLOCK is the chairman of the Burbank Heritage

Commission. Reach him at brbnkheritagecom@aol.com.