Old City Hall housed the municipal government and the fire department from 1928 to 1999. It was completed at the end of the Florida Boom, and its architectural design combined 2 popular contemporary stylistic trends (Mediterranean revival and neoclassical) to produce one of the city's most distinctive buildings.

In November 2006, the City Commission unanimously approved giving Old City Hall to Polk Community College for a Lake Wales Campus. PCC has received a $3.6 million grant from the state to renovate the building for college use. Plans call for 5 30-seat classrooms, 2 45-seat computer classrooms and a 30-seat room for classes and community use. Renovations are expected to be completed around June 2008.