Confidence Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Confidence Hall
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Confidence Hall (L) and Jane Stuart Building (R) are both part of the same NRHP listing.
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 Confidence Hall
Location in California
Confidence Hall
Location in the United States
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| Location | 487 Main St., Placerville, California |
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| Built | 1860 |
| Architect | Booth & DeVoe |
| Architectural style | Italianate Style, Victorian |
| NRHP reference No. | 82002174 |
| Added to NRHP | January 4, 1982 |
Confidence Hall is an old brick building in Placerville, California. It was built in the Italianate and Victorian styles. This important building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It is located in El Dorado County, California.
A Building with Many Lives
Confidence Hall was first built for a group of volunteer firefighters. They were called the Confidence Engine Company No. 1. This fire group started in 1857 as the Mountaineer Engine Company. They changed their name after buying a used fire engine called "Confidence." They couldn't remove the name from the engine.
The first fire hall was damaged by fire in September 1860. The building you see today was built in the fall of that same year. The fire company held popular fund-raising parties. Later, in the late 1890s, the building was used for early meetings of Placerville's Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Serving the Community
Over the years, Confidence Hall has served many different purposes. It was once the local police station. It also held the town's jail. A justice court, where legal cases were heard, also used the building. When the El Dorado County Fair moved around, Confidence Hall was one of its locations in Placerville.
In 1902, the building became the Placerville City Hall. The Placerville City Library opened on the upper floor in 1906. This was the first public library in the county. The library shared its space with the City Clerk's Office. The library stayed there until 1947. Confidence Hall remained Placerville City Hall until 2005.
The Jane Stuart Building
Next to Confidence Hall is another building called the Jane Stuart Building. It has a wooden balcony. This building was constructed in 1861. It is also part of the same historic listing as Confidence Hall.
How It Was Built
An immigrant named Jane Stuart helped fund its construction. She did this by guiding a group of horses across the Great Plains. She then sold them to a local dealer. The two buildings, Confidence Hall and the Jane Stuart Building, share a wall. They also have an inside hallway and a door connecting them. They have been used together as one office building.
