Originally the site was occupied by a meat market, and the first Novato Bank was housed temporarily in a wooden structure reportedly located on the east side of Grant Avenue. Frank Silva, the property owner, built the Novato Bank in 1913. The bank served ranchers, merchants, and home builders, and most of its stockholders were residents of the Novato area. The adjoining building to the west first served as a drugstore. From 1934 to 1951, the U.S. Post Office occupied the west building, and in 1960 it became the first City Hall until the city moved to the Presbyterian Church on Sherman Avenue in 1963. The Novato Bank business was sold to Central Valley Bank, which moved its operations to 1311 Grant Avenue and is now the Bank of the West. The Silva family still owns the building, and it is used as retail space.