The tower located at the front of the building used to contain a large bell that would be rung when the fire department was needed. That bell is now at the new fire department on Taylor Road. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Nick Miller)
As we reported last issue, it was announced at the May 16 O’Fallon City Council meeting that local developer Brad McMillin will be purchasing the Old City Hall building, located at 200 North Lincoln. Following the meeting, many city officials commented about the level of disrepair the building is in.
City Engineering Manager Dan Bowman was kind enough to give the O’Fallon Weekly a brief tour of the Old City Hall to document its current state before McMillin begins his renovations.
The Old City Hall was built in 1890 and was designated a historic landmark on November 20, 2000.
-
- The main hallway down the center of the first floor. The City Administrator’s office is to the left, the Water Department would be located to the right, and the jail cell is located at the end of the hall to the left. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Nick Miller)
-
- This is the room that used to contain the Water Department administrators. These days it is storage for random lost bicycles found around the city. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Nick Miller)
-
- The City Council chambers are significantly smaller than at the new City Hall. The council would have sat at tables, behind the waist high wall, in front of the desk where the mayor and clerk would have been located. The chambers take up almost the entirety of the second floor. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Nick Miller)
-
- While it may be difficult to see, there is a subtle change to the brick along the northern wall of the building. The newer, smoother brick is shows where the entrance for the fire truck used to be back when the building housed the city’s fire department. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Nick Miller)
-
- A view inside of the jail cell located on the first floor. It now is used for some storage. There does appear to be a water issue, as there was a bit of standing on the floor the day we took our tour. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Nick Miller)
-
- To access the City Council chambers on the second floor, you have to go up a set of stairs from the lobby. This was part of the reason the new City Hall was needed, as the old City Hall was not compliant under the Americans with Disabilities Act and would have required expensive renovations to get up to code. (O’Fallon Weekly Photo by Nick Miller)
