Old City Hall Building
Also known as: Redding Police Department & Council Chambers Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1907 at 1313 Market Street, Redding's old city hall is a two-story brick building of about 7,000 square feet. It was designed by M. W. Herron and built by William Stephens, using bricks made locally by the Redding Brick and Tile Company. Vertical pilasters, corbelled brick bands and semicircular arched windows give it simple classic detailing. It originally had a mansard-roofed corner cupola, which was later removed. The building housed city offices, the police, the fire department, a jail and the second-floor Council Chambers, and later served as a wedding chapel, courtroom and civil defense headquarters. It is described as the oldest building tied to city government since Redding's 1887 incorporation. A vine planted in 1910 covers the north wall, and two palms planted in 1908 remain on the west side. A structural engineer found the brick walls sound, though the roof needed seismic strengthening.
Significance in brief: The form argues it is a good example of a utilitarian turn-of-the-century brick office building with simple classic detailing, and the oldest building associated with Redding city government since incorporation in 1887. It also notes its role as a local landmark, with a vine-covered north wall and two surviving palm trees as notable landscape features. The form rates its significance as local, tied to regional understanding of West Coast city governance.
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 78000790, listed November 14, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1313 Market St., Redding |
|---|---|
| County | Shasta County |
| Listed | November 14, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78000790 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900-1999 |
| Architect / builder | William Stephens/M. W. Herran |
| Architectural style | Utilitarian turn-of-the-century brick office building with simple classic detailing |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied and in government use as the Police Department and Council Chambers; both functions were to move to a new location, leaving future use undetermined. A structural engineer found it in very good condition for its age. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.58616, -122.39115 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 78000790.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q133539612
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.