Old Lake Worth City Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old Lake Worth City Hall
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 Location in Florida
Location in the United States
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| Location | Lake Worth, Florida |
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| Architectural style | Mission/Spanish Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 89000432 |
| Added to NRHP | May 18, 1989 |
The Old Lake Worth City Hall is a special historic building in Lake Worth, Florida. You can find it at 414 Lake Avenue. It's also known as the Lake Worth City Hall Annex.
This building wasn't always a city hall. It first opened as an elementary school! Later, it was changed to hold the city's main offices. On May 18, 1989, it became a part of the U.S. National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a really important place in history.
Today, the Lake Worth Historical Museum is on the second floor. It's a great place to see old items like tools, clothes, and photos. These things tell the story of Lake Worth's past.
Contents
History of the Old City Hall
From Schoolhouse to City Hall
In the early 1900s, many people moved to Lake Worth. The city needed a school for all the new children. In 1912, land was given for a school. A small wooden schoolhouse was built. It opened on October 20, 1912, with 24 students. By the end of that school year, almost twice as many students were there!
The city quickly saw that a bigger school was needed. In 1914, plans were made for a new, larger school building. This new school had two floors and 12 classrooms. Each room could hold many students. After other schools were built, the city bought this building in August 1926. They needed more space for their offices.
Changes and Challenges
After the city bought the building, it was renovated. Classrooms became offices, and a telephone was installed. In July 1927, the old school became the new city hall.
But then, a big storm hit. The 1928 Okeechobee hurricane caused a lot of damage in Lake Worth. The city hall was badly hurt. One entire wall fell down, and the roof was destroyed. The city had no working government building.
City operations moved to another building for a while. In late 1928, an architect named Floyd King made plans to fix the city hall. When it was finished in 1929, the building looked very different. It now had a Mission and Spanish Revival style. This was a big change from its original look.
City Hall's Later Years
The city government started using the building again in 1929. It served as the main city hall until April 1973. At that time, most city departments moved to a new civic center. Only the electric and water offices stayed behind.
In 1980, the Lake Worth Historical Museum opened on the second floor. It shows many old items and photos from Lake Worth's history. On May 18, 1989, the building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This honor helps protect its history for future generations.
