American Legion Post 558 members have completed an 11-month renovation of their Legion Hall, the 83-year-old building at 347 First St. designated a historical landmark.
The upgrades included new floors; new bathrooms, including one Americans with Disabilities Act-compliant; ADA access to the main hall; audio-visual equipment; fresh paint; and a reconstructed bar.
There’s more work needed, including a new roof, according to Legion member Ken Newman.
“We lost a lot of roof tiles during those storms last year,” Newman said. “We had to do an emergency repair on it to get ready for the next rains. So, we’re looking out for grant money and different things to fund a new roof on the place.”
Of the just-completed repairs, the bar area also saw a major change.
“We tore out the 1940s- and 1950s-era cabinets and things that were in there,” Newman said. “We put in all new cabinets and an actual bar countertop. We shined up the old original barstools and got an old brass foot rail from (another) American Legion Post that no longer exists. Once we get some more money, we’re going to put a new ceiling in, and new lights in there, new windows – but we kind of had to stop. We ran out of money.”
Legion members hope to raise additional money through rentals of the Legion Hall. The facility has served a wide range of activities, from dance and exercise classes to parties, scouting events and memorial services.
The building overhaul comes after the Los Altos City Council last year approved the Legion’s request to designate the Legion Hall a historical landmark. The designation protects the building from being demolished – a key factor, considering much of the property along First Street is being developed into multistory condominiums. Furthermore, Legion members were tired of fending off inquiries about whether their property was for sale.
Built in 1940, just two years after the local Post’s establishment in 1938, the 3,920-square-foot Legion Hall served as a primary meeting spot for early Los Altos leaders as they worked toward the city’s 1952 incorporation.
The structure, built for $3,300 with help from World War I veterans, sits on a cement foundation with wood framing, a pitched roof, exterior wood siding and lath and plaster on the interior. Inside is a large gathering hall with natural wood, a vaulted ceiling and a stone fireplace.
For hall rental information, call Ted Greenwood at (408) 393-0135.
Veterans Day
Post 558 members are scheduled to participate in a special Veterans Day ceremony 11 a.m. Saturday at the Mountain View Veterans Memorial in Eagle Park, 650 Franklin St. They will also gather later in the day for a Veterans Day celebration at 2 p.m. at Veterans Community Plaza, corner of Main and State streets in downtown Los Altos.
