Des Moines City Hall
Encyclopedia
The Des Moines City Hall in Des Moines, Iowa
, United States
was built in 1909-1910. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1977 as the Municipal Building. The building serves as the seat for the government of the city of Des Moines.
In ten years the city’s population grew by another 10,000 people. In 1880 the city council decided to build a new city hall and a separate building for the police and fire departments next door. It was built in 1882 on the corner of Locust Street and Second Avenue. The city failed to maintain the building adequately, and it was too small to serve its needs, a new building was needed.
Des Moines had also grown in size. Its population was 86,000 in 1910 and it covered 65 square miles. In 1907 the city council decided to construct a new city hall. A location was chosen on the east side of the Des Moines River between Grand Avenue and Locust Street. A new bridge on Locust Street was planned to open in 1909. Streets in the area had also been raised 3-4 feet to lessen the impact of flooding.
The Des Moines architectural firm Proudfoot & Bird
was hired to design the new structure. Because of recent corruption in city politics they were tasked to design a building that would define an open and honest government. It was also to be large enough to house all city departments except the fire department. The building should also allow citizens to see and hear city business being transacted. To help create a new image the buildings name was to be called the Municipal Building rather than city hall.
Legal challenges to a bond referendum were made in 1907-1908. A referendum was passed by voters in April 1908. But because women were forbidden to vote Mary J. Coggeshall sued the city for the right of women to vote based on an 1894 state law that allowed women to vote on issues, but not candidates. Grace Ballentyne, the state’s first female lawyer, argued the case before the Iowa Supreme Court
. They won and a new referendum was held in November 1908, and it once again passed.
A division occurred in the city council when new members wanted a say as to who the architect would be. In July 1909 the mayor offered a compromise that allowed each member of the council to select an architectural firm to work on the project. The firms were known as the “Associated Architects,” and included: Liebbe, Nourse and Rasmussen, Hallett & Rawson, Wetherell & Gage, and Proudfoot & Bird.
The cornerstone for the new building was laid on June 14, 1910. Charles Weitz’ Sons Construction Company of Des Moines built the building. It was opened to the public on January 1, 1912. Over the years only a few changes were made to the physical structure, which continues to serve the city government.
up to four feet and then rest is Bedford stone
, which was chosen to match the Public Library of Des Moines
and the post office on the west bank of the river. The floors in the vestibules, entrances, public halls and council chambers are covered in marble
. Polished Tennessee marble
was used for the wainscoting in the public halls, entrances and the Main Hall. Interior woodwork is composed of white oak
.
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was built in 1909-1910. It was 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...
in 1977 as the Municipal Building. The building serves as the seat for the government of the city of Des Moines.
History
In Des Moines’ early years (1851-1870) the city council met in churches, schools, homes and stores. In that time period the population of the city grew from 1,500 to more than 12,000. The city council approved the construction of a two-room log building in 1869 to serve the needs of the fire department and city business. It was built the following year at the corner of Second and Walnut Streets.In ten years the city’s population grew by another 10,000 people. In 1880 the city council decided to build a new city hall and a separate building for the police and fire departments next door. It was built in 1882 on the corner of Locust Street and Second Avenue. The city failed to maintain the building adequately, and it was too small to serve its needs, a new building was needed.
Des Moines had also grown in size. Its population was 86,000 in 1910 and it covered 65 square miles. In 1907 the city council decided to construct a new city hall. A location was chosen on the east side of the Des Moines River between Grand Avenue and Locust Street. A new bridge on Locust Street was planned to open in 1909. Streets in the area had also been raised 3-4 feet to lessen the impact of flooding.
The Des Moines architectural firm Proudfoot & Bird
Proudfoot & Bird
Proudfoot & Bird et al. was an American architectural firm or partnership that designed many buildings in the U.S. midwest. Partners included Willis Thomas Proudfoot and George Washington Bird and Harry Dustan Rawson...
was hired to design the new structure. Because of recent corruption in city politics they were tasked to design a building that would define an open and honest government. It was also to be large enough to house all city departments except the fire department. The building should also allow citizens to see and hear city business being transacted. To help create a new image the buildings name was to be called the Municipal Building rather than city hall.
Legal challenges to a bond referendum were made in 1907-1908. A referendum was passed by voters in April 1908. But because women were forbidden to vote Mary J. Coggeshall sued the city for the right of women to vote based on an 1894 state law that allowed women to vote on issues, but not candidates. Grace Ballentyne, the state’s first female lawyer, argued the case before the Iowa Supreme Court
Iowa Supreme Court
The Iowa Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of Iowa. As constitutional head of the Iowa Judicial Branch, the Court is composed of a Chief Justice and six Associate Justices....
. They won and a new referendum was held in November 1908, and it once again passed.
A division occurred in the city council when new members wanted a say as to who the architect would be. In July 1909 the mayor offered a compromise that allowed each member of the council to select an architectural firm to work on the project. The firms were known as the “Associated Architects,” and included: Liebbe, Nourse and Rasmussen, Hallett & Rawson, Wetherell & Gage, and Proudfoot & Bird.
The cornerstone for the new building was laid on June 14, 1910. Charles Weitz’ Sons Construction Company of Des Moines built the building. It was opened to the public on January 1, 1912. Over the years only a few changes were made to the physical structure, which continues to serve the city government.
Architecture
Des Moines City Hall is a three-story Beaux Arts style building. It is 77 feet wide by 231 feet long. Most of the plans that were drawn up by Proudfoot & Bird were used by the Associated Architects in the final plans. It is a brick structure built on a concrete foundation. The exterior is clad in graniteGranite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
up to four feet and then rest is Bedford stone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
, which was chosen to match the Public Library of Des Moines
Public Library of Des Moines
The Public Library of Des Moines is an historic building in downtown Des Moines, Iowa, United States that was built in 1903. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977. The building ceased to be a library in 2006 and now houses the Norman E...
and the post office on the west bank of the river. The floors in the vestibules, entrances, public halls and council chambers are covered in marble
Marble
Marble is a metamorphic rock composed of recrystallized carbonate minerals, most commonly calcite or dolomite.Geologists use the term "marble" to refer to metamorphosed limestone; however stonemasons use the term more broadly to encompass unmetamorphosed limestone.Marble is commonly used for...
. Polished Tennessee marble
Tennessee marble
Tennessee marble is a type of crystalline limestone found primarily in East Tennessee, in the southeastern United States. Long esteemed by architects and builders for its pinkish-gray color and the ease with which it is polished, this stone has been used in the construction of numerous notable...
was used for the wainscoting in the public halls, entrances and the Main Hall. Interior woodwork is composed of white oak
White oak
Quercus alba, the white oak, is one of the pre-eminent hardwoods of eastern North America. It is a long-lived oak of the Fagaceae family, native to eastern North America and found from southern Quebec west to eastern Minnesota and south to northern Florida and eastern Texas. Specimens have been...
.