On January 6, 1924, Susanville’s new city hall was dedicated. It was estimated that nearly a quarter of the town’s population turned out for the occasion.

The original city/fire hall was destroyed by fire on November 7, 1921. More about the history of that structure later. The City Trustees (today referred to as Council) had many pressing issues to contend with and decided to take their time with the construction of a new city hall. In the spring of 1923, they hired noted Nevada architect Frederick DeLongchamps to design a new building. (Some local buildings designed by DeLongchamps include the Del Mar, St. Francis Hotel and the Lassen County Jail).

In October 1922, voter’s approved a $20,000 bond measure to pay for a new combination city/fire hall. Alas, DeLongchamps’ plan carried a $30,000 price tag, along with an additional $5,000 to furnish it. The Trustees’ were reluctant to go back to the voters to approve an additional $15,000 bond measure, but had no other choice. On June 26, 1923 voters approved the additional funding 146 to 14.  On August 18, 1923 Woodward & Grebe were awarded the contract to construct the two-story concrete building.

City hall has undergone numerous changes in the past 100 years. The most notable occurred in 2000., during the City’s Centennial. Not only did the building go through a complete retrofitting, but 3,250 square feet was added to the structure. The integrity of the historic facade was kept intact. It was an expensive proposition that cost $1,323,752.

On  a final footnote, in late January 1924, the City thanked the Lassen County Board of Supervisors for useage of the County Courthouse that allowed them to hold meetings for the last two years.

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