On land inhabited by the Coast Miwok as many as 12,000 years ago, Mill Valley spawned from a Mexican government land…More grant to set up Rancho Corte Madera del Presidio on a wide swath of Southern Marin. The grant was issued in 1834 to John Thomas Reed, who built the town's namesake sawmill in Old Mill Park to provide lumber for the new military post being built in the Presidio in San Francisco. </p> <p>The town was incorporated in September 1900, and the first Town Hall was constructed seven years later. By 1910, the town's population was 2,500 and has only grown to 13,200, as of 2008. The current City Hall was built in 1937. Public buildings and facilities opened throughout the decades, but City Hall remained the hub for local government.</p> <p>While the Public Safety Building, constructed in the 1970s, is home to the city's police and fire departments, most city agencies are housed at City Hall. City Manager Jim McCann coordinates all city departments through eight department directors, Police Chief, Fire Chief, Director of Planning and Building, Public Works Director, Finance and Human Resources Director, Parks and Recreation Director, City Librarian, and the General Manager of the Wastewater Treatment Plant.</p>

Originally built in 1903, the Masonic Hall has served as the lodge for the Masons of Mill Valley for more than a…More century. The hall, which holds 225 people for shows and seats 125, has long been home to a variety of private events and occasional concerts.</p> <p>But in 2010, the old Masonic Hall is getting a much-needed makeover. Ged Robertson, owner of Small Shed Flatbreads on Madrona Street, struck a long-term lease deal with the Masons for exclusive booking rights and the right to turn the dated building into a modern music hall in the heart of Mill Valley.</p> <p>Mr. Robertson's company, In the Woods Productions, is now booking live music four nights a week at the hall, and is also booking private events the other nights. In January 2010, Grateful Dead bandmates Bob Weir and Phil Lesh performed in the hall in a series of rehearsals for their group, Furthur. Once Mr. Robertson obtains the requisite permits from the city, he hopes to renovate the space and add a café. The venture hopes to make up for the loss of Sweetwater, the celebrated local music club that closed its doors in 2007.</p>