It was the 1930s. Fresno's economy was mired in the depths of the Great Depression but county government had another issue. They were out of space. Today on KVPR's Central Valley Roots the story of Fresno’s art deco-style Hall of Records.
Fresno's old courthouse from 1875 was bursting at the seams back in the early 1930s. So it was no surprise that the board of supervisors approved the construction of a new Hall of Records in 1935. It housed the county assessor, recorder and vital records. The new hall was funded by a $120,000 grant from President Franklin Roosevelt’s Public Works Administration.
Situated right next to the old neo classical courthouse with its dome, the new building was a thoroughly modern compliment to the stately old courthouse. It was designed by Allied Architects, a local consortium that banded together to win the job, and they produced an art deco masterpiece.
Geometric designs in terra cotta and aluminum grace the concrete exterior. Inside, the same patterns carry over to the multi-colored terrazzo floors, etched panels below cashier windows and the elevator doors. Marble, aluminum and art deco details abound, and wouldn’t look out of place in New York’s Rockefeller Center or the Chrysler Building.
The Hall of Records opened in 1937, and was expanded in 1955. While the old courthouse fell to the wrecking ball in 1966, the Hall remains an iconic part of Fresno and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
