Civic Art Gallery, San Jose
historic place
The building that became the Civic Art Gallery was constructed in 1892. This Richardsonian Romanesque structure first served as San Jose's main post office. Its original steeple was damaged in the 1906 earthquake. From 1937 to 1969, it functioned as the city's public library. In 1969, local artists and community members established the Civic Art Gallery as an art space. Designated a California Historical Landmark in 1972 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, it was renamed the San Jose Museum of Art in 1974. This site demonstrates the adaptive reuse of a historic building.