Ada Village Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Ada Village Hall
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Ada Village Hall from the south
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 404 West Main Street Ada, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1903–04 |
| Built by | H.L. Larson |
| Architect | Omeyer & Thori |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| NRHP reference No. | 98000154 |
| Added to NRHP | February 26, 1998 |
The Ada Village Hall was once the main building for local government in Ada, Minnesota. It was finished in 1904. For many years, it was also a very important place for public meetings and community events. People gathered there until the 1970s. This building is a great example of city halls that also housed fire departments in the early 1900s. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is important for the history of local government and community life in Ada.
Contents
History of Ada Village Hall
How Ada Began
The town of Ada started in 1876. It was planned as a railroad town. This meant it was a key spot for moving wheat from the Red River Valley to markets. In 1881, Ada officially became a village. It also became the main town for Norman County.
Building the New Hall
By the early 1900s, Ada was growing fast. The town decided to make some big improvements in 1904. One of these was building the new Village Hall. It was built to replace an older village hall and fire station. These older buildings were put up shortly after 1881.
The new hall was built during the spring and summer of 1904. It was ready by October of that year. The bricks used to build it came from Ada's own brickyard. The building's formal style is called Neoclassical. This style was chosen to show the strength and order of American government. The hall cost about $6,000 to build. This was a fair price compared to other large buildings in Ada at the time.
Architects Omeyer & Thori
The Ada Village Hall was one of three major public buildings in Ada designed by the firm Omeyer and Thori. They also designed the Norman County Courthouse and the Ada High School. This firm designed hundreds of buildings across Minnesota and other states.
What Happened Inside the Hall
Government Offices
All of Ada's city offices were on the first floor of the building. The Ada Fire Department was based here until 1965. The police office and jail were in the northern part of the building until the 1970s. Also, all local elections, except for school board elections, were held in this building.
A Community Hub
The Ada Village Hall was the main gathering place in Ada for many years. Groups like the Ada Commercial Club held their meetings there. Most community events and special meetings took place in the large room on the second floor. This floor had a big assembly room, a kitchen, a dining area, and a small meeting room. From 1904 through the 1970s, there was almost always a meeting or event happening on the second floor.
The Public Library
A part of the building was also used as a public library for almost 45 years. The Commercial Club started the library around 1914. The Ada Public Library took over running it in 1941. In 1959, the library moved to the Zion Lutheran Church building.
Later Years
By the early 1980s, the second floor of the Ada Village Hall was no longer used. A new bank building in Ada opened a community room. Many local groups moved their meetings there. In the 1990s, the second floor of the city hall was closed to the public.
In 1998, the hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The first floor continued to be used as city government offices until 2010. In 2012, a local store moved into the building, but it later closed. As of 2014, plans to fix up the building were put on hold because it was too expensive.
