Pasadena Civic Center District Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids
Pasadena Civic Center District
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district

Pasadena City Hall, 2008
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Location	Pasadena, California
Architectural style	Beaux Arts
NRHP reference No.	80000813
Added to NRHP	July 28, 1980

The Pasadena Civic Center District is a special area in Pasadena, California. It's like the main hub for the city's government and important public buildings. This area is also a historic district, meaning its buildings are old and important. You can find it roughly between Walnut and Green Streets, and Raymond and Euclid Avenues.

How the Civic Center Began
Amazing Buildings: What They Look Like
Pictures of the Civic Center
See also

How the Civic Center Began

Building the Pasadena Civic Center was a big project! In 1923, the city got $3.5 million to pay for the new buildings. This money came from something called a "bond issuance," which is like the city borrowing money to build things.

The whole plan for the Civic Center was created by a company from Chicago called Bennett, Parsons and Frost. They designed the buildings to be very fancy and detailed. Their ideas came from the "City Beautiful movement" of the 1920s. This movement was all about making cities beautiful and grand with impressive public buildings.

Because of its special history and design, the district was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This list helps protect important places in the United States.

Amazing Buildings: What They Look Like

The most important buildings in the Pasadena Civic Center are the Pasadena City Hall, the Pasadena Central Library, and the Pasadena Civic Auditorium. They are the main attractions of the area.

The Pasadena City Hall is a beautiful building. It was designed by architects Bakewell and Brown from San Francisco. They used a style called Beaux-Arts and Mediterranean Revival. This means it looks grand and classical, with a touch of Mediterranean style. The design was inspired by a famous Italian architect from the 1500s named Andrea Palladio. Pasadena City Hall looks a bit like some of Palladio's famous buildings, even though it's not an exact copy.

The Pasadena Central Library was designed by Myron Hunt in 1924. It was the first building in the new Civic Center plan to be finished. The library officially opened its doors on February 12, 1927, which is Lincoln's birthday.

Before the main Civic Center plan in the 1920s, some other important buildings were already in the area. These include the Pasadena Post Office, the Turner and Stevens Company Building, the YMCA, and the YWCA. The YWCA was designed by a famous architect named Julia Morgan.

After the Civic Center was formally planned, even more buildings were built nearby. Some of these newer additions include the American Legion Hall, the First Baptist Church, the Southern California Gas Company building, the Hall of Justice, the County Courts, and the All Saints Episcopal Church. The Maryland Hotel Apartments are also part of this district.

You can also find Memorial Park in the district. This park is special because it was the location of Pasadena's very first public library.