City Hall, 601 West Jefferson Street, Louisville

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS KY,56-LOUVI,16-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

The seat of Louisville's municipal government, City Hall is a monumental example of Italianate architecture with a fine Mansard clock tower. PART I. HISTORICAL INFORMATION A. Physical History: Date of erection: August 8, 1870-June 31, In Messrs. Mergell and Andrewartha won an architectural competition for City Hall. On September 2, final plans were submitted by Andrewartha in conjunction with the firm of Stancliff and Company. Construction began two years later and the building formally opened on July 2, Architect: John Andrewartha.

Little is known about Andrewartha except that he arrived in Louisville on July 4, "without money and without friends or acquaintances" and claimed to have executed a "large amount of work" by This work is known to have included the State Capitol Annex in Frankfort and a store on the northwest corner of Eighth and Main Streets in Louisville, later burned. It is highly likely that he designed the Courier- Journal Building at the southeast corner of Fourth and Liberty Streets, Central Colored School at the southeast corner of Sixth and Kentucky Streets, and the Nicholas Finzer School at 730 East Broadway, all in Louisville and all built in the late and early Original and subsequent owners: By Act of Virginia, dated May 1, land was designated for the purpose of county government.

This land took the form of a public square consisting of two single acre lots, each on either side of Sixth Street with Jefferson Street to the south and Congress Alley to the north. * LOUISVILLE CITY HALL HABS No. (Page 2) In the erection of the County Courthouse the city and the county agreed to share construction costs. By agreement/ recorded in Jefferson County Minute Orders Book 17, page dated September 19, the county agreed to give the city lots no. 225 and west of Sixth Street, plus as its share of construction costs. The land is presently recorded as lot 73 of block in the city of Louisville. 4. Builder, contractor, suppliers: The following people who took part in the construction of the building: James Nevin. .. .. excavation B. Pfeiffer ... .flagging, etc. Urban Stengel ..

masonry Fowler , .bricklayer Sol. McCollum. , .brickmaker Utica Lime Company .cement Owen McDonald and Company and Muldoon, Belknap and Company cut stone work Snead, Sayre, and Company ironwork Merz iron cornice Speed and Company iron stairs and beams Jacob Rupp sand Barney Campbell ., plastering Pat Hannon terra cotta pipes M. Muldoon & Co , .marble work Robert Biggs....plumbing, steam-fitting, & gas fixtures Emile Bourlier... tin and galvanized iron Holt & Prisby .painters and stainers Petro Laeber frescoes New Albany Glass Works plate glass George B. Bahr .locks and hardware Wrampelmair, Ketzker & Co.,. M. Kirich, Davis & Co., Gustav Bitter... ...furniture Mathers, Taylor & Co carpets E. Howard & Co., Boston, Massachusetts .clocks George W.

Creighton water-coolers, spittoons, etc Jenney & Perry rubber goods 5. Original plans and construction: A virtually complete set of original ink and watercolor drawings is in the City Planner's Office in the City Hall. Included are complete plans, elevations, sections, and numerous details, especially of the stonework. Excluded are all drawings of the original tower except for one partial elevation. An architectural description at its opening is found in the Courier-Journal, July 3, page 5, columns LOUISVILLE CITY HALL HABS NO. (Page 3) 6.

Alterations and additions: a Repair of pavement after gas explosion on October 16, Repair and reconstruction of tower by Henry Whitestone after a fire which totally destroyed it on November 17, Total cost was Annex built on adjoining lot facing Jefferson Street. Steam cleaning of exterior. Steam cleaning of exterior. Complete renovation of building by Thomas D. Luckett of Luckett & Farley.

Included in the renovation were a new roof, air-conditioning installation, installation of acoustical ceilings, flourescent lighting, new flooring, two new elevators in the place of a central open stairwell, an enclosed fire stair, rewiring, replastering, refinishing of woodwork, sandblasting of exterior, repainting of exterior woodwork, installation of aluminum front entry, floodlight- ing, and new Venetian blinds. The exterior remained basically unchanged. Original elements remaining in the interior were some hardware, some woodwork, and much of the mayor's office. Total cost was General contractors were Ale Bornstein and Melvin Co. of Louisville. Cypress clock hands replaced with aluminum hands.

Civil defense emergency operating center was built in interior courtyard by the firm of Tafel and Schickli. Otho Tapp auo. Sons were the general contractors with a bid of New gutters added and repairs to roof made. PART II. ARCHITECTURAL INFORMATION General description: The italianate building is protected on the exterior with stone walls, with rusticated style at the first floor. In the center of the front facade is a handsome projecting pedimented pavilion reminiscent of Renaissance Revival architecture. The pavilion includes a portico at either the first or second floor, with columns, and a balustrated balcony at the third floor, with pilasters adorning the wall. In the tympanum of the pediment is an interesting locomotive design.

This three-story building is further highlighted by an imposing clock tower on the southeastern corner. The clock tower, five stories hiqh, is punctuated with narrow arched windows at the fourth floor, and is sheltered by by a crested mansard roof. Each of the four walls of the roof contains the clock. The cornices project out and are supported by brackets. LOUISVILLE CITY HALt, HABS No. (Page 4) The windows on the main part of the building are of different types: segmental-arched windows at the first floor; twin windows in single openings with arched tympana containing animal heads at the second floor, and narrow arched windows with columns at the third floor. The bracketed cornice marking the second floor is embellished with metopes and guttae. All other cornices are simple, PART III.

SOURCES OF INFORMATION A. Original Architectural Drawings: Plans are located in the City Planner's Office, City Hall, Louisville. B. Early views: Louisville City Directories for and "The Daily Graphic," New York, October 21, p. Louisville Pictorial Souvenir, Louisville Pictorial Souvenir Company, Louisville, Kentucky. Photograph made by Doerr, The Filson Club, Louisville. C.

Source document Quoted word for word from HABS KY,56-LOUVI,16-. Not written, edited or summarised by this site.

1. Primary and Unpublished sources: Minute Order Books of the Jefferson Circuit Court, located in the Jefferson County Archives and Records Service, 602 Courthouse, Louisville, Kentucky. 2. Secondary and published sources: Johnston, J. Stoddard. Memorial History of Louisville from its First Settlement to the Year Chicago: American Biographical Publishing Co., vol. 1, p. vol. 2, p. Newspaper articles: "Moving Into City Hall," Louisville Evening Ledger, June 30, "The City Buildings," Louisville Evening Ledger, July 2, "The New City Hall," Louisville Commercial, July 2, "The New City Hall," Courier-Journal, July 2, "A Splendid Building," Courier-Journal, July 2, Article on gas explosion, Louisville Commercial, October 17, LOUISVILLE CITY HALL HABS No.

(Page 5} ^_ "A Terrible Explosion," Louisville Evening Ledger, October 17, "Gaseous Explosion," Courier-Journal, October 17, "The City Hall Explosion," Louisville Commercial, October 17, "Yesterday's Sensation," Louisville Commercial, October IS, "The City Hall On Fire," Courier-Journal, November 18, "Law Offices Moved to City Hall's Second Floor," Courier-Journal, June 7, "City Hall Overhaul Hits Snag; After All, New One Likely Later," Cour ier-Journal, June 10, "Last of City Hall Bonds Burned by Commission," Cour ier-Journal, July 15, "Look Under City Hall and You're Likely to Find Anything - Including Abandoned Catacombs," Louisville Times, October 20, "Bird-Beloved City Hall To Get First Face Cleaning Since Courier-Journal, May 20, "This two-year Screen Job Was Really Full of Bugs," Cour ier- Journal, July 1, Photograph of steamcleaning of City Hall, Courier-Journal, July 1, "New Fall Coat," Louisville Times, September 19, "City Hall Still Strong and Healthy at Louisville Times, July 21, "Broaddus Plans Remodeling of City Hall," Louisville Times, February 24, "Mayor Planning to Modernize City Hall in - Program Would Be Started After Police Vacate Building," Courier-Journal, February 24, "The Belle of Needs a Face-Lifting," Louisville Times, February 27, LOUISVILLE CITY HALL HABS NO.

(Page 6) "Jefferson County Landmarks-No. 7," Courier-Journal, September 6, "Jefferson County Landmark - No. Courier-Journal, March 14, "City Hall Renovation Priced at Courier-Journal, May 11, Plan to Renovate City Hall is Pushed," Louisville Times, May 11, "City Project Likely to Crowd Out Building," Courier-Journal, May 14, Gas Jets Blazed in Louisville's New City Hall," by Melville 0. Briney, Louisville Times, May 19, "Jefferson County Landmarks - No.

Courier"Journal, July 25, "City Hall and Annex Grime to Go - Mayor Predicts Work to Start by Spring," Courier-Journal, January 19, "Remodeling of City Hall Is Planned," Louisville Times, January 19, "There's Plenty of Life in the Old City Hall," Courier-Journal, January 20, "Renovation at City Hall Not Far Off," Cour ier-Journal, April 15, Article, The Courier-Journal Magazine, May 6, "Work on Remodeling City Hall Expected to Start Next Week," Louisville Times, June 6, "City Hall's Face Cleaning to Start Soon - Pigeon Guards to be Installed," Courier-Journal, June 7, "Before and After," Courier-Journal, August 9, "City Hall Spruces Up - Antique Flavor Favored," Cour ier-Journal, September 20, "Mayor Gives Tips on Hall Decorations," Louisville Times, September 20, LOUISVILLE CITY HALL HABS No.

(Page 7) "Face Lifting is Making City Hall Lighter, Brighter, Safer," Cour ier-Journal, December 14, "City Hall Bid on Renovations to be Opened - Contracts to Cover Third Floor Restoration," Courier-Journal, January 27, "City Hall May Be Floodlit," Cour ier-Journal, February 1, "Plan to Floodlight Courthouse, City Hall Studied," Louisville Times, February 1, "City Hall Tower, Built in Was Bargain, Comparison Shows," Cour ier-Journal, March 3, "Murals Are Suggested for City Hall," Louisville Times, June 7, "Bright As a New Penny - New Ceilings, Modern Lighting and Fresh Paint Adorn the City Hall," Courier-Journal Magazine, August 11, "Ceiling Zero: Part of 'New Roof Falls In at Office of Mayor's Secretary," Courier-Journal, August 13, "City Proposes New Projects for $897,000-More City Hall Renovating, Parking Lot, Fire Station, Street Resurfacing Included," Courier-Journal, August 14, Don't Look Now, But Our Accoteria are...Er...Naked - Judge Would Like Statues on Pedestals Atop City Hall," Courier-Journal, by Simpson Lawson, May 10, "Bid on City Hall Work Over Estimate," Louisville Times, November 18, "Schmied to Reopen City Hall Press Room", Louisville Times, December 14, "Clock Above City Hall Gets Its Voice Back," by Vincent Crowdus, Cour ier-Journal, September 26, "Time Tolls at City Hall," Courier-Journal, September 28, "Happy Birthday!

Louisville City Hall to Celebarate its on Saturday," "City Hall Tower's List is Causing no Concern," Courier-Journal, August 6, "City's Past May Have A Future," Louisville Times, February 1, "City Hall Basement That Once Held Prisoners Now Holds Print Shop," Courier-Journal, August 26, LOUISVILLE CITY HALL HABS No. (Page 8) PART IV. PROJECT INFORMATION The project was undertaken by the Historic American Buildings Survey (HABS) in cooperation with the Preservation Alliance of Louisville and Jefferson County, Inc. Under the direction of John Poppeliers, Chief of HABS, the project was completed during the summer of at the HABS Field Office in Louisville by Prof.

John Haggard, (Syracuse University), Project Supervisor; David Arbogast (Columbia university), Project Historian; Mary Oehrlein, Project Foreman; Bayer Lee (City College of New York), Architect; and Mary M. Herd (University of Tennessee) and Charles Raith (University of Cincinnati), student assistant architects. Susan McCown, a HABS staff historian in the Washington, office, edited the written descriptive data in the spring of for transmittal to the Library of Congress. HABS staff photographer Jack E. Boucher took the photographs of the structures in ADDENDUM TO HABS No. CITY HALL ffo6s 601 West Jefferson Street j^y Louisville ; Jefferson County Kentucky '6? - XEROGRAPHIC COPIES OF COLOR TRANSPARENCIES HISTORIC AMERICAN BUILDINGS SURVEY National Park Service U.S.

Department of the Interior Washington,