Alexandria City Hall: Difference between revisions

| designated_other1_date = November 15, 1983<ref name="VLR list">{{cite web|title=Virginia Landmarks Register|publisher=Virginia Department of Historic Resources|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|accessdate=2013-05-12|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921053819/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/register_counties_cities.htm|archive-date=2013-09-21|url-status=dead}}</ref>

| image = File:Alexandria City Hall.jpg

| caption = The south facade, facing King Street (2008)

| image_size = 350px

| location = 301 [[King Street (Alexandria, Virginia)|King St]]., [[Alexandria, Virginia]], U.S.

The '''Alexandria City Hall''' also known as the '''Alexandria Market House & City Hall''', in [[Alexandria, Virginia]], is a building built in 1871 and designed by [[Adolph Cluss]]. In 1984, the building was listed on the U.S. [[National Register of Historic Places]].<ref name="nris"/>

The site was originally a market from 1749 anda courthouse from 1752. A new building was constructed in 1817. Following an extensive fire in 1871, it was rebuilt as a replica of the former building.

===18th century===

[[Image:Benjamin latrobe by peale.jpg|thumb|[[Benjamin Henry Latrobe]] who designed the original 1817 clock tower, later replicated in 1871 and seen today]]

http://alexandriava.gov/index_quicklinks.aspx?id=7666#cityhall|title=About Alexandria|publisher=City Government of Alexandria|accessdate=March 23, 2010}}</ref>

In 1752, lottery proceeds funded the building of a town hall and courthouse on the site, designed by local gentlemen. [[George Washington]] served as a justice in this court, which served Alexandria and [[Fairfax County, Virginia|Fairfax County]], to which Alexandria belonged prior to the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]].<ref name="DHR">{{cite web|url=http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Alexandria/100-0126_AlexandriaCityHallAndMarketHouse_1984_Final_Nomination.pdf|title=Alexandria City Hall|publisher=[[United States Department of the Interior]] and [[National Register of Historic Places]]|year=1984|accessdate=March 23, 2010|format=PDF|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100115190723/http://www.dhr.virginia.gov/registers/Cities/Alexandria/100-0126_AlexandriaCityHallAndMarketHouse_1984_Final_Nomination.pdf|archive-date=January 15, 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===19th century===

In 1817, a new three-story brick building was built along Royal Street, including a clock tower designed by [[Benjamin Henry Latrobe]].<ref name="AG"/> The tall-steepled tower became a prominent landmark. The Alexandria-Washington Masonic Lodge had its headquarters located in the building for some time. The original city hall was something of a complex, containing the Masonic Lodge, court facility, and both the principal police and fire stations of Alexandria.<ref name="DHR"/> Market stalls were once situated on the first floors of+ the west and north wings and in the courtyard which are absent today.<ref name="DHR"/>

A wide stairway with rails led from the public entrance on Fairfax Street into the courtrooms.

In the northeast corner on the second floor were two offices for the Clerk, one for clerical use and the other for records storage.<ref name="DHR"/> The Court Room in the northern section of the building on the second floor was {{convert|58|ft|m}} in length, {{convert|9|ft|m}} wide, and {{convert|20|ft|m}} high.<ref name="DHR"/> It had thirteen windows, with six overlooking the market square below and seven located along Cameron Street. The wainscotting was made from yellow pine with walnut rails.<ref name="DHR"/> Two doors in the western wall led into the judge's retaining room<!--chambers?--> and to a stairway and private quarters of the judge and officers of the court. The main entrance to the Royal Street western wing was beneath the clock tower.

{{stack|[[File:Cluss-adolf.jpg|thumb|right|175px|[[Adolf Cluss]]]]}}

On May 19, 1871, an extensive fire gutted the building and, given the importance of the building, the townspeople raised enough money to pay for an exact replica of the 1817 building.<ref name="DHR"/> The reconstruction was paid for by the sale of 2,000 shares in the [[Orange and Alexandria Railroad]] to the [[Baltimore and Ohio Railroad]] for $40,000 and $10,000 insurance from the destroyed building.<ref>''Alexandria Gazette'' (June 3, 1873)</ref><!--it doesn't appear that the townspeople did any of this-->

[[Adolf Cluss]], an architect, originally from [[Germany]], who had previously designed the [[United States Department of Agriculture|U.S. Department of Agriculture]] building in 1869 and Washington, D.C.'s Central Market in 1870 was swiftly hired within a week, according to the ''[[Alexandria Gazette]]'', to draw up plans for the building.

Cluss was especially noted for his technical skill and attention to building safety and strength. Cluss soon presented a plan for the new City Hall to the council, who authorized it formally on June 28, 1871.<ref name="DHR"/> His design reflected his strong emphasis on safety and the new building would be constructed from brick with cast iron columns, and rolled iron beams and trusses with roofs made of metal or slate, discarding as many wooden or other combustible construction materials as possible.<ref name="DHR"/> Delahay, an Alexandria-based builder, presented a bid for $45,000, which was received and accepted on October 5, 1871.

[[image:Alexandria City Hall in 1871.jpg|thumb|left|287px|Alexandria City Hall in 1871]]

The Alexandria-Washington Lodge formally approved Cluss's design on April 2, 1872, and on April 29, 1872, Delahay and Cluss began the construction of the Masonic portion of the building.<ref name="DHR"/>

The new City Hall would be U-shaped around a central courtyard. Another local architect, Benjamin F. Price, provided a plan for replicating the original Latrobe steeple and its estimated cost of $8,000 was paid for by private donors, notably John B. Daingerfield.<ref name="DHR"/> Price's design for the reconstructed Latrobe tower was approved by the City government on June 12, 1872.

===20th century===

In 1945, the Alexandria-Washington Masonic Lodge moved out of City Hall when the new [[George Washington Masonic National Memorial]] was completed on King Street.<ref name="AG"/> Interior renovation of the vacated space then commenced and a second Court Room was established on the second floor with additional offices.

In 1960 and 1961, an addition was built, filling in the old courtyard; it was not until 1981 that this addition was linked to the main building and elevators, stairs and corridors were added.<ref name="AG"/> A plaza, completed in 1967, is located towards the southern half of the City Hall block.<ref name="AG"/> It is an open, landscaped plaza with a central fountain, built as part of the Gadsby Commercial Urban Renewal Project. The current City Hall building houses many of the Alexandria government offices, including the City Council Chambers on the second floor.

[[File:West_Facade_Alexandria_VA_City_Hall.png|thumb|right|325px|The west facade facing South Royal Street]]

In designing the building, Cluss paid particular attention to the strength and durability of the framework. Alexandria City Hall consists of masonry bearing walls with cast-iron columns, supporting the wood ceiling and floor joists.

It is constructed in the Second Empire style, incorporating three-dimensional massing, mansard roofs, and superimposed orders.<ref name="DHR"/> The window types and sizes and decor are largely symmetrical.<ref name="DHR"/>

The majority of the building is laid out in two stories, although there are four three-story corner pavilions and a central four-story pavilion on the north facade. The north facade on Cameron street is approximately {{convert|238|ft|m}} long, with a breadth of {{convert|40|ft|m}}.<ref name="DHR"/> Six bays divide the two-story sections and there were two entry doors to the Masonic Lodge. The top floors of the three-story pavilions have semi-circular windows and have hip roofs, two of which are gabled. The central pavilion is crowned by a grouping of three mansard roofs, whilst the two-story sections of the building have gabled roofs, sheathed in slate with galvanized iron cornices.<ref name="DHR"/> The central pavilion originally had slate with wood cornices and a tin capping but following restoration work in the 1960s these were resheathed and the wood and tin was replaced with iron and copper respectively.<ref name="DHR"/>

Little remains of the original interior from 1871 except some masonry bearing walls and cast iron columns.<ref name="DHR"/> The hall was extensively renovated several times in the twentieth century.<ref name="DHR"/> However, traces of old plaster, paint, and wallpaper are visible in some parts of the building. In the second floor chamber of the northeast pavilion, the wooden framework is also visible from the cove ceiling. When the structure was extended in 1961 it was necessary to remove some of the original cast iron columns, leaving only ten columns in the central pavilion.<ref name="DHR"/> When a new Court House opened on King Street in 1981, the court rooms, judicial chambers, prisoner holding cells, clerk's office, jury rooms, witness room, and ancillary facilities were moved out of City Hall.<ref name="DHR"/> Today the building functions exclusively as a City Hall.

{{commons category|Alexandria City Hall}}

{{Alexandria, Virginia}}

[[Category:Brick buildings and structures in Virginia]]