Battle Creek City Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Battle Creek City Hall
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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| Location | 103 E. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, Michigan |
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| Area | 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1913 |
| Built by | S.B. Cole Construction Co. |
| Architect | Ernest W. Arnold |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Neoclassical |
| Part of | City Hall Historic District (Battle Creek, Michigan) (ID96000366) |
| NRHP reference No. | 84001377 |
| Added to NRHP | April 5, 1984 |
The Battle Creek City Hall is an important government building in Battle Creek, Michigan. You can find it at 103 East Michigan Avenue. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. It's where many city decisions are made!
Contents
A Look Back: History of the City Hall
Battle Creek was first settled by people from Europe in 1835. It became a village with its own government in 1850. Later, in 1859, it officially became a city.
Why a New Building Was Needed
The city built its first city hall in 1867. It was located at 25 West Michigan Avenue. However, Battle Creek kept growing bigger and bigger. Soon, the old building was not large enough for the city government.
In 1907, the mayor, Charles C. Green, started a special group. Their job was to plan for a brand-new city hall. They looked at different places for the new building. The spot at 103 East Michigan Avenue was chosen by the public.
Building the New City Hall
The city bought the land for the new building. In 1912, they hired a local architect named Ernest W. Arnold. He designed the plans for the new city hall.
In early 1913, the city hired the S. B. Cole Construction Company. This company was from Detroit. They began building the new city hall in 1913. The construction was finished in 1914.
Over the years, the city continued to grow. The fire and police departments moved to their own new buildings. But the Battle Creek City Hall is still used by the city government today.
What Does It Look Like?
The Battle Creek City Hall is a three-story building. It also has an attic level. It is built in the Neoclassical style. This style often uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
Outside the Building
The first floor of the building has rough-looking limestone. The upper floors are made of red brick. The corners have special limestone blocks called "quoins."
The front of the building has five main parts. The ends stick out a bit, and the middle part also sticks out. The main entrance is in the center. It has three arched doorways. Six tall columns stand in front of these doors. These columns are in the "Ionic" style, which means they have scroll-like designs at the top.
The windows on the upper floors have frames made of cast concrete. The building also has many classical decorations. These include small rose shapes, tooth-like patterns, and other detailed designs. The back of the building looks similar to the front. However, it does not have the large columns. The sides of the building are shorter and also have entrances.
