Arcadia’s First City Hall as Remembered by William Millard

During Mr. Millard’s term on City Council, he was involved in the planning and execution of Arcadia’s first City Hall. He was proud of the decisions made to erect this stately two-story brick colonial-style building located on the northwest corner of Huntington Drive and First Avenue. The land cost the city $2,450, the building, $18,000, and had 10,000 square feet.

In an interview with Mr. Millard in 1963, he described one of the buildings’ most popular features: “We had an auditorium on the second floor, not only an auditorium, but a place we could hold dances. At that time 3,000 people were at the balloon school. The Woman’s Club sponsored dances there every Saturday night for the soldiers and girls from other cities They came to have a good time. The government furnished the music for the evening.”

His wife, Constance, was the President of the Woman’s Club at the time, and she helped make the dance arrangements and “watched” over the activities.

The City Hall’s opening was celebrated on July 15, 1918.