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Old City Hall (Mobile, Alabama)
Encyclopedia
Old City Hall, also known as the Southern Market, is a historic complex of adjoining buildings in Mobile
, Alabama
, that currently houses the Museum of Mobile. The complex was built from 1855 to 1857 to serve as a city hall and as a marketplace. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
in 1973.
. On 27 December 1855, while the new building was under construction, the existing city hall on Conti and Jackson Street burned. As a consequence, in May 1856, the city passed a resolution approving $40,000 to complete and expand the building with accommodation for the mayor, city clerk, city treasurer, and two city boards. Payment receipts indicate that the building was completed by 20 April 1857.
In 1910 the building was altered by architect William L. Denham. A new council chamber was added above a new second floor bridge connecting the front and back of the central sections. The original open passageway between the two central sections was enclosed to create an entrance lobby and the stairway was reoriented to the east wall of the lobby. The complex was altered again in the mid 1930s by architect Frederick W. Clarke. Most of the work involved infilling some of the formerly open spaces with interior spaces. Also, murals by John Walker depicting scenes from local Mobile history were painted at this time. The complex was damaged by Hurricane Frederic
on 12 September 1979, causing the tenants at that time to vacate the building. It was later restored.
The complex is Italianate
style in design and comprises four rectangular sections connected by three arcaded
passageways. The grouping is 244 feet (74 m) wide on Royal Street, 275 feet (84 m) long on Church Street, and the back is 213 feet (65 m) wide on Water Street. The building is stucco
over brick
construction with wood trim and bracket
s.
The two central sections form a U shaped mass, fronted on Royal Street and extend to Water Street. They are two floors in elevation on Royal Street and one floor in elevation on Water Street. This central section is crowned with a central octagonal cupola
. The two annex wings are also two floors in elevation, although of lesser height than the central sections. The south wing annex is 30 feet (9 m) wide by 275 feet (84 m) long and faces Church Street. The ground floor of the south wing once housed stalls and shops for the market, but has since been altered to enclose the space. The north wing annex is 30 feet (9 m) wide and is much shorter in length than the south wing. The north wall is attached to the neighboring Gulf Coast Exploreum
.
in 2005.
The exhibits cover two large floors of the complex and chronicle 300 years of Mobile history. The museum normally has a six month long featured exhibit, special collections exhibits that are rotated periodically, and several permanent exhibits. The permanent exhibits include: the Old Ways New Days exhibit that explores Mobile's history from colonization to the present; the Walls and Halls exhibit featuring furniture, antique silver, artwork, and other artifacts; and the Discovery Room Interactive Gallery for children.
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
, Alabama
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
, that currently houses the Museum of Mobile. The complex was built from 1855 to 1857 to serve as a city hall and as a marketplace. It was declared a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1973.
History
The building was originally planned by the city in 1854 as the principal city marketplace for selling vegetables, meat, and fish. In February 1855 it was decided that the building would also house some of the municipal offices with approval on 1 June 1855 of $44,000 in municipal bonds to pay for construction. The architect for this initial building phase was Thomas Simmons James, a Mobile architect originally from VirginiaVirginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
. On 27 December 1855, while the new building was under construction, the existing city hall on Conti and Jackson Street burned. As a consequence, in May 1856, the city passed a resolution approving $40,000 to complete and expand the building with accommodation for the mayor, city clerk, city treasurer, and two city boards. Payment receipts indicate that the building was completed by 20 April 1857.
In 1910 the building was altered by architect William L. Denham. A new council chamber was added above a new second floor bridge connecting the front and back of the central sections. The original open passageway between the two central sections was enclosed to create an entrance lobby and the stairway was reoriented to the east wall of the lobby. The complex was altered again in the mid 1930s by architect Frederick W. Clarke. Most of the work involved infilling some of the formerly open spaces with interior spaces. Also, murals by John Walker depicting scenes from local Mobile history were painted at this time. The complex was damaged by Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic
Hurricane Frederic was the sixth tropical cyclone, third hurricane and second major hurricane of the 1979 Atlantic hurricane season. Frederic was the costliest hurricane to ever hit the U.S. Gulf Coast at that particular time...
on 12 September 1979, causing the tenants at that time to vacate the building. It was later restored.
Description
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
style in design and comprises four rectangular sections connected by three arcaded
Arcade (architecture)
An arcade is a succession of arches, each counterthrusting the next, supported by columns or piers or a covered walk enclosed by a line of such arches on one or both sides. In warmer or wet climates, exterior arcades provide shelter for pedestrians....
passageways. The grouping is 244 feet (74 m) wide on Royal Street, 275 feet (84 m) long on Church Street, and the back is 213 feet (65 m) wide on Water Street. The building is stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
over 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:...
construction with wood trim and bracket
Bracket (architecture)
A bracket is an architectural member made of wood, stone, or metal that overhangs a wall to support or carry weight. It may also support a statue, the spring of an arch, a beam, or a shelf. Brackets are often in the form of scrolls, and can be carved, cast, or molded. They can be entirely...
s.
The two central sections form a U shaped mass, fronted on Royal Street and extend to Water Street. They are two floors in elevation on Royal Street and one floor in elevation on Water Street. This central section is crowned with a central octagonal 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....
. The two annex wings are also two floors in elevation, although of lesser height than the central sections. The south wing annex is 30 feet (9 m) wide by 275 feet (84 m) long and faces Church Street. The ground floor of the south wing once housed stalls and shops for the market, but has since been altered to enclose the space. The north wing annex is 30 feet (9 m) wide and is much shorter in length than the south wing. The north wall is attached to the neighboring Gulf Coast Exploreum
Gulf Coast Exploreum
The Gulf Coast Exploreum is a non-profit science center that features three permanent exhibitions, a wide variety of traveling exhibitions, a virtual theater, and an IMAX theater in downtown Mobile, Alabama...
.
The museum
Beginning in 1997 the building was renovated to house the Museum of Mobile. An addition was added to the back of the building in 2000 to house the Museum of Mobile’s permanent exhibits and staff offices. The museum was closed for repairs for several months following flood damage from Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
in 2005.
The exhibits cover two large floors of the complex and chronicle 300 years of Mobile history. The museum normally has a six month long featured exhibit, special collections exhibits that are rotated periodically, and several permanent exhibits. The permanent exhibits include: the Old Ways New Days exhibit that explores Mobile's history from colonization to the present; the Walls and Halls exhibit featuring furniture, antique silver, artwork, and other artifacts; and the Discovery Room Interactive Gallery for children.