WELCOME TO THE RAMONA TOWN HALL

The People's Hall

Through the Years

Enjoy this video that tells the story of the Ramona Town Hall by Woodward Kirkman right from the beginning! So much history surrounds the hall - it was always meant to be The People's Hall.

Everyone is welcome!

It is called the "People's Hall" after all.

1894

The Ramona Town Hall was generously donated to the townspeople of Ramona by Augustus and Martha Barnett on Washington’s Birthday, February 22nd, 1894. It is held in trust in perpetuity by a volunteer five-member board of trustees. The Board of Trustees does not own the Town Hall, nor is it a public agency ~ the people of Ramona, CA, own it.

For over 123 years, the Town Hall has operated solely on fundraisers, grant monies, private donations, and rent collected for its use. The Town Hall has served as the town’s first library, first movie theater, first high school, first bank, dance hall, justice court, and the birthplace of several of the community’s service groups, including the Masonic Lodge, the Chamber of Commerce, and the Volunteer Fire Department. Additionally, the Town Hall has hosted a wide variety of events, including Temperance Meetings, Turkey Days, Voting Polls, 4-H Youth Meetings, Miss Ramona Contests, Political Meetings, Community Theater, Silent Film Festivals, Town Hall Days, and more.

1912 | 4th of July

1964
70th Anniversary of the Town Hall's Dedication

The Ramona Pioneer Historical Society presented a plaque in 1964 to commemorate the 70th Anniversary of the Town Hall's dedication.

1973
Point of Historic Interest
January 26, 1973

The Ramona Town Hall was approved as a Point of Historic Interest by the California Landmarks Advisory Committee on January 26, 1973.

1989
Closed

Following the 1989 San Francisco earthquake, the Town Hall Board of Trustees closed the Town Hall pending seismic retrofit and restoration due to deteriorating walls and ceilings.

The San Diego County Board of Supervisors designated the Ramona Town Hall as a Historic Landmark on November 10, 1991.

1991
Designated as a Historic Landmark
November 10, 1991

1993
Restoration

The first phase of restoration and seismic retrofit began in 1993 after a seven-year fundraising effort by the Town Hall Trustees. Funding sources included Community Development Block Grants, PLDO Funds, and private donations. The first phase included a new roof, seismic reinforcement to the front half of the building, finish restoration of the West Wing, and complete restoration of the façade to it’s 1894 appearance, which was completed in time to celebrate the 100th Anniversary of the Town Hall in February, 1994.

1994

National Register of Historic Places
September 26, 1994

The Ramona Town Hall was placed on the National Register of Historic Places on September 26, 1994, in its centennial year.

100th Anniversary
February 1994

The Ramona Town Hall celebrated its 100th Anniversary in February 1994, with the seismic retrofit of the front half of the building complete.

Civil Restoration Award
May 10, 1994

The “Save Our Heritage Organization” awarded the Ramona Town Hall Trustees the “Civic Restoration Award” on May 10, 1994.

1995

Arson Fire
January 28, 1995

After the completion of the work done in 1993 and 1994, there were sufficient funds to complete the finish work in the East Wing. Then, on the evening of January 28th, 1995, just days before the work on the East Wing was to commence, an arsonist set fire to the Town Hall, destroying the finish work that had been completed in the West Wing, nearly the entire second floor, and the roof over the front portion of the building. A brick fire wall original to the building, separating the front section from the main hall, saved it from destruction.

1998

Fire Repair

It wasn’t until November 1998 that the insurance claim was finally settled out of court, allowing work to replace what was lost in the fire and to complete the finish work on the East Wing, which should have been finished in 1995, to commence. Although the finish work on the East Wing was completed in 1999, escalating costs did not cover the full repair of the fire-damaged West Wing and second floor. During the delay, building codes changed, and a fire sprinkler system was mandated for the entire building.

2002

Closed

Further compounding the problems facing the Town Hall at this time was a fivefold increase in insurance costs. With all funds exhausted, the Trustees were forced to close the Town Hall in 2002.

2008

Fresh Start
January 28, 1995

In 2008, with less than $50 in the bank, delinquent property taxes due, and the threat of confiscation by the county tax assessor, a special town meeting was held by the remaining Trustees for the town to decide the fate of the Town Hall. Vacant seats on the board were filled, and funds to cover the back taxes were quickly donated from all over the town. Additional donations came in to cover the insurance and reopen the East Wing, which was the only finished area following the arson fire in 1995. A combination of fundraisers and donations afforded the completed restoration and reopening of the West Wing in 2012. Subsequent donations and fundraisers have funded HVAC systems for both wings, upgraded lighting, security gates, an alarm system, security cameras, and a preliminary structural retrofit study for the second phase of restoration on the Main Hall.

2009

E. Clampus Vitus, John Q. Squibob Historic Plaque
April 25, 2009

E. Clampus Vitus, John Q. Squibob Chapter #1853, dedicated their first historic site plaque in Ramona to the Ramona Town Hall on April 25, 2009.

The People's Hall Today

The Ramona Town Hall stands tall today and remains the place to gather, celebrate, and make Ramona memories. Stop by for a tour or plan your next event with us – make it historic!

DID YOU KNOW?

The Ramona Town Hall is one of the largest and oldest adobe structures in the entire Southwest, and features a Romanesque/Mission Revival architecture, a style unique to its architect, William Sterling Hebbard (1863-1930)

Because of their dedication, the people of Ramona have always had a place to meet, to laugh, to support one another, and to feel at home. The Town Hall is more than a building; it is a symbol of unity, resilience, and the enduring spirit of a community that continues to thrive because of the foundations laid long ago.