The Administrative Heart of a Government Town
During World War II, Richland was one of only a handful of federally built, owned, and operated communities in the United States. Unlike Oak Ridge and Los Alamos, Richland was not enclosed behind barbed wire fences, allowing it to function as an open community while still supporting one of the nation's most secretive wartime efforts. At the center of this controlled community stood Richland City Hall.
Originally constructed to house federal administrative offices, the building coordinated housing assignments, infrastructure development, and essential services for a city that grew almost overnight. Every neighborhood built, school opened, and utility repaired stemmed from the directives issued here.
After the war, Richland transitioned from federal control to an incorporated city, and City Hall adapted alongside it. Today, the building continues to serve as a civic center while standing as a symbol of Richland's remarkable origins as a federally planned community created to support the Manhattan Project.
