Marin County Civic Center

Marin County Civic Center
The Marin County Civic Center
Marin County Civic Center is located in California
Marin County Civic Center
Marin County Civic Center is located in the United States
Marin County Civic Center
LocationSan Rafael, California
Coordinates37°59′59″N 122°31′48″W / 37.99972°N 122.53000°W / 37.99972; -122.53000
Built1960
ArchitectFrank Lloyd Wright
Architectural styleModern Movement
NRHP reference No.91002055[1]
CHISL No.999[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 17, 1991
Designated NHLDJuly 17, 1991[3]
Designated CHISLMay 8, 1991[2]

The Marin County Civic Center, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, is located in San Rafael, California, the county seat of Marin County, California, United States. Groundbreaking for the Civic Center Administration Building took place in 1960, after Wright's death and under the watch of Wright's protégé, Aaron Green; it was completed in 1962. The Hall of Justice was begun in 1966 and completed in 1969. Veterans Memorial Auditorium opened in 1971, and the Exhibit Hall opened in 1976.

Located away from the former county seat in downtown San Rafael, the expansive complex stretches across two valleys just east of US 101.[4] Its pink stucco walls, blue roof and scalloped balconies are distinctive. The smaller wing is the county administration building and the larger wing is the Hall of Justice, joined by a round structure on a small hill that houses a branch of the Marin County Free Library.[5]

A battle between factions of the Marin County Board of Supervisors played out through the selection of the site and the architect, the financing of the project, and its eventual completion. The Marin County Civic Center is a state and National Historic Landmark.[6]

The nearby fairgrounds host the Marin County Fair in July.[7]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference CHL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "National Historic Landmarks Program". tps.cr.nps.gov. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved March 15, 2015.
  4. ^ "Oral History: Takeshita, Wat, April 12, 2004" (Interview). Marin County Library. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  5. ^ "ArchDaily Classics: Marin Civic Center / Frank Lloyd Wright". ArchDaily. March 14, 2013. Retrieved October 14, 2018.
  6. ^ "Marin County Civic Center". Registration Form. National Register of Historic Places.
  7. ^ "Marin County Fair". Retrieved September 12, 2013.