Independence Hall
Also known as: Scout Hall
Why it's listed
Independence Hall is a small wood-frame meeting hall at 129 Albion Avenue in Woodside, California. Local carpenters built it from local lumber in the early 1880s after the town's earlier meeting place, Starlight Hall, was torn down. In 1894 it was moved about 300 feet to its current lot. For decades it served as the village's gathering place, hosting the county's first rural Congregational church services, elections, dances, plays and minstrel shows. An association of local citizens sold shares to support it. It was sold in 1919, closed by court order in 1921 after rowdy dances, and renovated in 1944 as Scout Hall for youth activities. It closed again in the 1960s when funds for upkeep ran out. The building shows a provincial blend of Greek Revival and Italianate styling, with hand-hewn beams and square nails upstairs. It is considered one of five surviving original buildings of the village, and residents hoped to relocate and restore it as a community meeting place.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a well-known pioneer landmark and one of five surviving original buildings of the Woodside village community. It served for most of its history as the town's meeting place, voting site, and venue for church services, dances, plays and later Scout activities. It is also noted as an example of California pioneer-era architecture.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 78000772, listed August 3, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 129 Albion Ave., Woodside |
|---|---|
| County | San Mateo County |
| Listed | August 3, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000772 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | no record (built by local carpenters) |
| Architectural style | Provincial adaptation of Greek Revival; Italianate |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in good condition but unoccupied and closed since about 1965; the owner planned to reuse the site, and the town sought to move the hall to the nearby Woodside Elementary School grounds to save it. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 37.42864, -122.26032 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 78000772.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.