Schenectady City Hall facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Schenectady City Hall and Post Office
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East elevation, 2008
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| Location | Schenectady, NY |
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| Area | 2.3 acres (0.93 ha) |
| Built | 1931 |
| Architect | McKim, Mead and White; Taylor, James Knox |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival, Other, Neo-Colonial;Neo-Adamesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 78001908 |
Schenectady City Hall is the main building where the city government of Schenectady, New York, works. It was designed by famous architects McKim, Mead, and White. The building was constructed between 1931 and 1933. You can find it between Clinton, Franklin, Jay, and Liberty streets.
The building's design looks like the old "Federal Style." This was a popular building style in America from 1780 to 1830. Key parts of the City Hall include its square clock tower. This tower has a shiny gold dome and a weathervane. It also has a grand entrance called a portico with tall Ionic columns. Besides city offices, it also houses the local office for U.S. Representative Paul Tonko.
The building's classic design matches the post office nearby. That post office was built about 20 years earlier. Both buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. This list helps protect important historical places.
Exploring Schenectady City Hall's Design
Schenectady City Hall is a two-and-a-half-story building made of brick. It has a large central entrance (portico) at the front. At the back, there is a round section called a rotunda. The roof is low and sloped, with small windows called dormer windows. On top of the roof sits the impressive clock tower with its golden dome.
Along the roofline, you can see decorative railings called balustrades. The front entrance has a triangular top part called a pediment. This pediment rests on four tall, grooved Ionic columns. White Marble is used for flat columns (pilasters) and corner stones (quoins). It also covers the lower part of the building, making it look strong and old.
Inside the City Hall, marble is used a lot. You'll see it on the stairs, floors, and lower parts of the walls. Other cool details include the city's seal on brass doorknobs. There are also fancy plaster decorations on the ceilings.
A Look at City Hall's History
In the late 1920s, Schenectady was growing fast. The city decided it needed a new city hall. They held a contest for architects from all over the country. The famous firm McKim, Mead, and White won the contest.
Building the City Hall was very expensive. It was built during the Great Depression, a time when money was scarce. Because of the high cost, some people called it "Fagal's Folly." This was a joke about Mayor Henry C. Fagal. The architects designed the building to look like older American buildings from the Colonial era. It also has elements of neoclassical architecture, like its dome. This dome looks similar to ones designed by the famous architect Christopher Wren.
At the ceremony to lay the first stone, James McKellum Smith from the architecture firm spoke. He said the city was building something that would be important for 100 years. Construction finished in 1933. The inside of the building still looks much the same as it did back then.
Schenectady City Hall was added to the National Register of Historic Places on October 11, 1978. Soon after, a fire damaged the golden dome. Luckily, it was repaired and looks great today.
Images for kids
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Another view of the City Hall
