Atlanta City Hall
Encyclopedia
Since Atlanta
was founded, there have been four official city halls of Atlanta.
After half a decade of makeshift meeting places for city business (including hotel
s and grocery store
s), in 1853 mayor of Atlanta John Mims
purchased the four-acre (16,000 m²) "Peters's Reserve" from Richard Peters
for $5,000. On this land (current site of the Georgia State Capitol
) was built a two-story brick
structure (with an additional two-story cupola
) for the city hall
as well as some court
functions. Each floor was 70 by 100 feet (30.5 m) providing nearly 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) of space.
It was opened on October 17, 1854 and served for three decades during which time it served as campgrounds for the occupying Union army
during the war and was briefly the state capitol during 1868 when the capital first moved from Milledgeville, Georgia
. It was demolished in 1885.
building was four stories tall and located on the northeast corner of Pryor and Hunter (now MLK
Blvd). It was the city hall from 1882 to 1911.
house and post office
on the north side of Marietta
Street between Forsyth and Fairlie. Purchased from the U.S. federal government by Atlanta mayor Robert Maddox
for $70,000, this imposing structure served as city hall for nearly twenty years. It was so solidly built that the first company hired to raze it actually went out of business before completing the job.
, was completed in February 1930. An annex was completed in 1989, and the building was designated a "landmark building exterior" on October 23 of that year.
This building at 68 Mitchell Street SW occupies the site of the house that General William Tecumseh Sherman
took as the headquarters of his occupation after his Atlanta Campaign
and before his March to the Sea
(Sept.–Nov., 1864). The house was one of the few buildings in Atlanta that Sherman did not destroy. At the time, it belonged to Richard F. Lyon
, an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
.
neighborhood, northeast of downtown. The building formerly belonged to Sears
. The city of Atlanta sold the building in June 2011 to Jamestown, a developer, which agreed to pay $27 million for the property. It was renamed Ponce City Market.
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
was founded, there have been four official city halls of Atlanta.
Antebellum
Hotel
A hotel is an establishment that provides paid lodging on a short-term basis. The provision of basic accommodation, in times past, consisting only of a room with a bed, a cupboard, a small table and a washstand has largely been replaced by rooms with modern facilities, including en-suite bathrooms...
s and grocery store
Grocery store
A grocery store is a store that retails food. A grocer, the owner of a grocery store, stocks different kinds of foods from assorted places and cultures, and sells these "groceries" to customers. Large grocery stores that stock products other than food, such as clothing or household items, are...
s), in 1853 mayor of Atlanta John Mims
John Mims
John F. Mims sixth mayor of Atlanta and agent of the Georgia Railroad & Banking Company.In the late 1840s he founded a flour mill with Lemuel Grant, Richard Peters and his younger brother William Peters but it didn't do well with competition from Mark A...
purchased the four-acre (16,000 m²) "Peters's Reserve" from Richard Peters
Richard Peters (Atlanta)
Richard Peters was an American railroad man and a founder of Atlanta.Grandson of Judge Richard Peters, Jr...
for $5,000. On this land (current site of the Georgia State Capitol
Georgia State Capitol
The Georgia State Capitol, in Atlanta, Georgia, in the United States, is an architecturally and historically significant building. It has been named a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is the main office building of Georgia's government...
) was built a two-story brick
Brick
A brick is a block of ceramic material used in masonry construction, usually laid using various kinds of mortar. It has been regarded as one of the longest lasting and strongest building materials used throughout history.-History:...
structure (with an additional two-story cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
) for the city hall
City hall
In local government, a city hall, town hall or a municipal building or civic centre, is the chief administrative building of a city...
as well as some court
Court
A court is a form of tribunal, often a governmental institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accordance with the rule of law...
functions. Each floor was 70 by 100 feet (30.5 m) providing nearly 15000 square feet (1,393.5 m²) of space.
It was opened on October 17, 1854 and served for three decades during which time it served as campgrounds for the occupying Union army
Union Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
during the war and was briefly the state capitol during 1868 when the capital first moved from Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville, Georgia
Milledgeville is a city in and the county seat of Baldwin County in the U.S. state of Georgia. It is northeast of Macon, located just before Eatonton on the way to Athens along U.S. Highway 441, and it is located on the Oconee River. The relatively rapid current of the Oconee here made this an...
. It was demolished in 1885.
Gilded Age
The old chamber of commerceChamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
building was four stories tall and located on the northeast corner of Pryor and Hunter (now MLK
MLK
MLK may refer to:*Martin Luther King, Jr. , American clergyman, activist, and prominent leader in the African American civil rights movement...
Blvd). It was the city hall from 1882 to 1911.
Roaring Twenties
Next was in the old customsCustoms
Customs is an authority or agency in a country responsible for collecting and safeguarding customs duties and for controlling the flow of goods including animals, transports, personal effects and hazardous items in and out of a country...
house and post office
Post office
A post office is a facility forming part of a postal system for the posting, receipt, sorting, handling, transmission or delivery of mail.Post offices offer mail-related services such as post office boxes, postage and packaging supplies...
on the north side of Marietta
Marietta, Georgia
Marietta is a city located in central Cobb County, Georgia, United States, and is its county seat.As of the 2010 census, the city had a total population of 56,579, making it one of metro Atlanta's largest suburbs...
Street between Forsyth and Fairlie. Purchased from the U.S. federal government by Atlanta mayor Robert Maddox
Robert Maddox
Robert Foster Maddox was the 41st Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia.Son of early Atlanta settler and war hero Robert Flournoy Maddox, he was educated in public school, and then attending the University of Georgia until 1887 when he completed studies at Harvard.He was Chairman of the board of the Atlanta &...
for $70,000, this imposing structure served as city hall for nearly twenty years. It was so solidly built that the first company hired to raze it actually went out of business before completing the job.
Modern
The current city hall, designed by G. Lloyd PreacherG. Lloyd Preacher
George Lloyd Preacher was an architect prominent in Atlanta, Georgia and the southeastern United States in the design of commercial office, hotel, and apartment buildings.Notable buildings that he designed include:...
, was completed in February 1930. An annex was completed in 1989, and the building was designated a "landmark building exterior" on October 23 of that year.
This building at 68 Mitchell Street SW occupies the site of the house that General William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman
William Tecumseh Sherman was an American soldier, businessman, educator and author. He served as a General in the Union Army during the American Civil War , for which he received recognition for his outstanding command of military strategy as well as criticism for the harshness of the "scorched...
took as the headquarters of his occupation after his Atlanta Campaign
Atlanta Campaign
The Atlanta Campaign was a series of battles fought in the Western Theater of the American Civil War throughout northwest Georgia and the area around Atlanta during the summer of 1864. Union Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman invaded Georgia from the vicinity of Chattanooga, Tennessee, beginning in May...
and before his March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea
Sherman's March to the Sea is the name commonly given to the Savannah Campaign conducted around Georgia from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864 by Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman of the Union Army in the American Civil War...
(Sept.–Nov., 1864). The house was one of the few buildings in Atlanta that Sherman did not destroy. At the time, it belonged to Richard F. Lyon
Richard F. Lyon
Richard Francis Lyon was a Georgia attorney and jurist before and during the Confederacy.-Family:The oldest son of Thomas Pickett Lyon and Mary Winn Lyon , born September 9, 1819, in Lincoln County, Georgia, Lyon married Ruth Esther Knowles on June 17, 1841; they had eight children: Emily, Julia,...
, an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Georgia. This building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.
City Hall East (1990-2010)
Between 1990-2010 some city hall services had been available at City Hall East, located on Ponce de Leon Avenue in the Old Fourth WardOld Fourth Ward
The Old Fourth Ward, often abbreviated The Fourth Ward or O4W, is a neighborhood stretching east from Downtown Atlanta, Georgia. The Old Fourth Ward is one of the city's most rapidly gentrifying neighborhoods, but is also one of the city's most eclectic, containing a burgeoning nightlife district...
neighborhood, northeast of downtown. The building formerly belonged to Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Company
Sears, officially named Sears, Roebuck and Co., is an American chain of department stores which was founded by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck in the late 19th century...
. The city of Atlanta sold the building in June 2011 to Jamestown, a developer, which agreed to pay $27 million for the property. It was renamed Ponce City Market.