Downtown Los Angeles in Los Angeles County, California — The American West (Pacific Coastal)

Los Angeles City Hall

Local Historic Civil Engineering Landmark

Photographed by Jason Voigt, October 26, 2023

1. Los Angeles City Hall Marker

Inscription.
The first high-rise in Southern California, at 452 feet, and until 1964 the tallest building in Los Angeles, originally designed only for gravity and wind loads, it has survived the earthquakes of 1933, 1971, 1987, and 1994. The engineer of record for the original construction was Albert C. Martin. The seismic retrofit after the 1994 earthquake included the largest base isolation project in Southern California.

Completed 1928
Designated 1975
Retrofitted 2001
Commemorated 2001

Erected 2001 by American Society of Civil Engineers.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Government & Politics • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the ASCE Civil Engineering Landmarks series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1928.

Location. 34° 3.188′ N, 118° 14.619′ W. Marker is in Los Angeles, California, in Los Angeles County. It is in Downtown Los Angeles. It can be reached from Main Street north of 1st Street. Marker is south of City Hall, in the park. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 200 N Main St, Los Angeles CA 90012, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in California’s Transverse Ranges.

It is also on the American Pacific Coast.

Globally, it is in North America,

on the Ring of Fire,

in the Pacific Rim,

in the Western Hemisphere,

in the Western World,

and in the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain

and also Mexico’s Alta California.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Lindbergh Beacon (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); a different

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marker also named Los Angeles City Hall (about 400 feet away); Los Angeles Times (about 400 feet away); Fletcher Bowron Square (about 700 feet away); Historical Site (about 800 feet away); Vietnam Memorial (about 800 feet away); Higgins Building (approx. 0.2 miles away); Los Angeles Star (approx. 0.2 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Los Angeles.

Also see . . .
1. City Hall - Visiting - with Huell Howser. In this half-hour video produced in 1999 for local PBS television stations, Huell Howser explores the base isolation work in progress under City Hall, and interviews the grandson of engineer Albert C. Martin. (Submitted on January 6, 2025.)

2. Los Angeles City Hall on Wikipedia. (Submitted on October 29, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois.)

Photographed by Jason Voigt, October 26, 2023

2. Los Angeles City Hall Marker

Marker is located in the park south of Los Angeles City Hall.

Photographed by Craig Baker, January 24, 2024

3. Los Angeles City Hall Marker

Three months after the previous photo, the marker is missing.

Photographed by Craig Baker, June 13, 2018

4. City Hall

Credits. This page was last revised on January 9, 2025. It was originally submitted on October 29, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. This page has been viewed 488 times since then and 52 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on October 29, 2023, by Jason Voigt of Glen Carbon, Illinois. 3. submitted on January 24, 2024, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California. 4. submitted on June 27, 2023, by Craig Baker of Sylmar, California.