- Marin County Civic Center
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Marin County Civic CenterThe Marin County Civic Center
Location: San Rafael, California Coordinates: 37°59′59″N 122°31′48″W / 37.99972°N 122.53°WCoordinates: 37°59′59″N 122°31′48″W / 37.99972°N 122.53°W Built: 1960 Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright Architectural style: Modern Movement NRHP Reference#: 91002055 [1] Significant dates Added to NRHP: July 17, 1991 Designated NHL: July 17, 1991[2] Marin County Civic Center, the last commission by Frank Lloyd Wright,[3] is located in San Rafael, California. Groundbreaking for the Civic Center Administration Building took place in 1960, after Wright's death and under the watch of Wright's protégé, Aaron Green, and was completed in 1962. The Hall of Justice was begun in 1966 and completed in 1969. Veterans Memorial Auditorium opened in 1971, and the Exhibit Hall opened in 1976. The 140-acre (0.57 km2) Scettrini Ranch in Santa Venetia was purchased in 1956 for $551,416 for use as the site of the Civic Center and County Fairgrounds. The Marin County Civic Center is a state and National Historic Landmark[2]. The Civic Center has been nominated for the UNESCO World Heritage List[4] as a part of ten properties by Frank Lloyd Wright. The nearby fairgrounds house the Marin County Fair each July.
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Architecture
The selection of Frank Lloyd Wright in 1957 to design the Civic Center was controversial. The June 1960 election changed the makeup of the Marin County Board of Supervisors such that, in the following January, the new board voted to halt work on the project and possibly convert it for use as a hospital. However, a poll by the Marin Independent Journal showing overwhelming support for the project pressured board members to change their minds, and construction resumed a week later.
Attacks
See also: Marin County courthouse incidentIn August, 1970 the Civic Center, which houses the Marin County Superior Court, was the scene of an attempted jailbreak led by Jonathan Jackson, the brother of Black Panther militant George Jackson, demanding the release of the so-called "Soledad Brothers". Jackson released several prisoners in the courtroom and the group took a number of hostages including the presiding judge, Harold Haley. While they were attempting to escape, four people, including Judge Haley and Jonathan Jackson, were killed. The story, which featured dramatic photographs, was carried in newspapers nationally. Black Panther activist Angela Davis was eventually tied to the case, prompting her to go on the run before being caught and ultimately acquitted on charges of supplying firearms to Jonathan Jackson.
Popular culture
The Civic Center was a filming location for director George Lucas's first feature-length film THX 1138 in 1971, exterior and interior of the buildings were featured in the 1997 film Gattaca, and was pictured in the music video for the song I Need A Doctor by Dr. Dre from his 2011 album, Detox.
Parts of Peter Frampton's 1976 multi-platinum selling live album Frampton Comes Alive were recorded during his performance at the Marin County Civic Center on June 13, 1975 and "Weird Al" Yankovic recorded his October 2, 1999 live concert video at the Marin County Veterans Memorial Auditorium.
Gallery
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2006-03-15. http://nrhp.focus.nps.gov/natreg/docs/All_Data.html.
- ^ a b NHL Summary
- ^ NHL Writeup[dead link]
- ^ http://whc.unesco.org/en/tentativelists/5249/
External links
- Official website
- Security Report that refers to the Judge Haley incident
- Roger Bockrath's photo of Judge Haley hostage
- Civic Center Library
Historic districts China Camp | Fort Baker | Fort Barry | Fort Cronkhite | Hamilton Army Air Field Discontiguous Historic District | Larkspur Downtown Historic District | Point Bonita Light Station | Point Reyes Light Station
Belvedere Valentine Rey HouseInverness Brock Schreiber Boathouse and Beach | Pierce Ranch | Point Reyes Lifeboat Rescue Station, 1927Larkspur Alexander-Acacia Bridge | Dolliver House | Green Brae Brick YardTiburon Muir Beach Archeological Site | Steamship Tennessee remainsMarshall Station KPH Operating Station | Station KPH, Marconi Wireless Telegraph Company of AmericaMill Valley Novato Fashion Shop and Stephen Porcella House | Rancho Olompali | Robert Dollar Estate | Robert Dollar HouseOlema San Rafael Boyd House | Bradford House | Dixie Schoolhouse | Erskine B. McNear House | Marin County Civic Center | San Rafael Improvement ClubSausalito Griswold House | Sausalito Woman's Club | William G. Barrett HouseTiburon Tomales Tomales Presbyterian Church and Cemetery
U.S. National Register of Historic Places Topics Lists by states Alabama • Alaska • Arizona • Arkansas • California • Colorado • Connecticut • Delaware • Florida • Georgia • Hawaii • Idaho • Illinois • Indiana • Iowa • Kansas • Kentucky • Louisiana • Maine • Maryland • Massachusetts • Michigan • Minnesota • Mississippi • Missouri • Montana • Nebraska • Nevada • New Hampshire • New Jersey • New Mexico • New York • North Carolina • North Dakota • Ohio • Oklahoma • Oregon • Pennsylvania • Rhode Island • South Carolina • South Dakota • Tennessee • Texas • Utah • Vermont • Virginia • Washington • West Virginia • Wisconsin • WyomingLists by territories Lists by associated states Other Categories:- NRHP articles with dead external links
- Government buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in California
- Frank Lloyd Wright buildings
- Buildings and structures completed in 1962
- History of Marin County, California
- Buildings and structures in Marin County, California
- Modernist architecture in California
- National Historic Landmarks in the San Francisco Bay Area
- Visitor attractions in Marin County, California
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