Municipal Building - Meridian, MS - a photo on Flickriver

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meridian_City_Hall

City Hall in Meridian, Mississippi in the United States is located at 601 24th Avenue. Originally designed by architect P.J. Krouse in 1915, the building underwent several renovations during the 1950s that diminished the historic quality of the building. After complaints of a faulty HVAC system, the building underwent a restoration to its original 1915 appearance beginning in September 2006.

Before the current city hall was built in 1915, the city government operated out of a building built in 1885 and designed by Gustav Torgenson, the same architect that designed the Riley Center in 1889. Architects R.H. Hunt, C.L. Hutchisson, and P.J. Krouse competed for the chance to design the new city hall in March 1914. Krouse was chosen to design the building on April 15, 1914, and Hutchisson was named the consulting architect. C.O. Craft is listed as the superintendent of the building, C.H. Miller as the superintendent for the architect, and Hancock & MacArthur are listed as contractors.

The building was originally built in the Beaux Arts style. There were no major alterations to the building until the 1950s, when modern conveniences were added. Air conditioning was added to the building, necessitating drop ceilings to make room for the ducts, which obscured the original plaster molding in the interior. Wood paneling was added to create more offices out of the large chambers present in the original design, and mahogany windows were replaced with aluminum ones. Windows on the ground floor were filled with concrete during the 1950s as well. City governments, believing they were making improvements to the building, actually harmed it or diminished its historical value. Terracotta tiles were painted over, which trapped moisture inside the tiles and caused parts of the building to rot. Scagliola columns were painted blue, wood and marble floors were covered with linoleum, and the grand staircase was replaced with an elevator.

The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1988.

By 2003, some city workers had complained about faulty HVAC systems in the building. The city then hired consultants to repair the systems, but they found so many other problems with the building that the city decided to renovate the entire building.

The terracotta tiles on the exterior were methodically replaced, cross and jack sunscreens were returned to their original black shade, and the fountain constructed on the front lawn in the 1950s was replaced. Thirty-two of the decorative column capitals were replaced, and a new parapet cap and flashing system was designed for the roof. The renovation was awarded the Masonry Construction Online Project of the Year Award for 2009.

By March 2010, two of three fire stairs had been installed, and the elevator shaft had been moved to make way for a marble staircase. By January 2011, the building's scagliola columns had been restored, the decorative glazing on the floors had been finished, and progress was being made on the installation of the elevators. In September 2011, most electrical and mechanical systems had been installed, and only minor details on the inside of the building were missing. Several handrails and a few panes of glass had not yet been installed, as well as minor details such as paint and finish.

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Taken in: United States / Mississippi / Meridian (show map)

Taken on: May 27, 2019

Tags:

Meridian

Lauderdale County

City Hall

Municipal Building

1915

NRHP

Beaux Arts

Mississippi Landmark

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Sets appears in: • Mississippi

Groups appears in: • Mississippi • National Register of Historic Places

Camera: Canon EOS 50D, f/14.0, 1/500 sec, 38mm, ISO 640 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon EOS 50D
Aperture:	f/14.0
Exposure Time:	0.002 sec (1/500)
Focal Length:	38mm
ISO:	640
Exposure Bias:	-1/3 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Picasa
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