Birmingham City Hall (1902)

Birmingham City Hall, c. 1909

For other Birmingham City Hall buildings, see Birmingham City Hall (disambiguation).

The Birmingham City Hall (1902) was the second Birmingham City Hall. It was completed in 1902 on the same site as the First Birmingham City Hall, the northwest corner of Block 73, southeast of the intersection of 4th Avenue North and 19th Street.

An architectural competition was held in 1900 to determine the design of the proposed new city hall. D. A. Helmich's proposal was selected as the best, but the other four participants, including Charles Wheelock, were also awarded prizes. Helmich was requested to adopt some of the features present in other entries into his final plans.

The 4-story, 20,000 square-foot, building, clad in gray pressed brick and trimmed with limestone, was erected by Henry Stockmar. His original bid of $147,000 was the lowest received. Changes requested during construction and unforeseeable delays resulted in a final cost of $200,000, which still did not exceed the bond funds which had been subscribed for the project. Richard Blackburn of Chicago was engaged to plaster the building and the Edgefield and Nashville Manufacturing Company furnished and installed the woodwork with the assistance of locally-hired carpenters. C. T. Hayes of Chattanooga, Tennessee was engaged for the painting and decorating of the building's interiors. He chose terra-cotta hues for the rotunda, lobbies and corridors. The restrooms featured porcelain fixtures, marble countertops, and nickel-plated fittings. Hot and cold water were supplied to every department, along with gas for lighting. The the installation required nearly six miles of piping, installed by the Alabama Supply Company under the supervision of C. E. Eckerle.

The ground floor was supported on Doric-style columns and the roof was shingled with Vermont black slate with copper-clad hips and ridges. The interior corridors were floored with tile, including a mosaic and wainscot in the lobby. The rooms had rift-sawn pine flooring and the market had concrete floors. The main stairway was built of marble with mosaic tile inlay. The two others were framed in oak. Three accidents with injuries were recorded during the construction, but no fatalities.

In addition to municipal offices, the building housed the Birmingham Fire Department, a National Guard unit, the first Birmingham Public Library and several retail spaces. It also housed a gymnasium that was opened for public recreation. A laboratory was provided for the city's building inspectors to test concrete and other samples. The basement held a coal-filed boiler, with provisions for a future electrical plant. An Otis elevator was installed in the lobby and a fireproof vault in the auditor's office.

The adjoining Birmingham City Jail survived from the previous building and underwent renovations with new steel cells to house up to 160 prisoners. It also housed offices for the warden and matron, and included a hospital ward with an operating room, and bathrooms planned to allow for forcible cleaning of obstinate prisoners. It was connected to the new city hall across the alley by a bridge. The police department had a separate entrance, with a stables accessed from 3rd alley next to the jail.

The "Council Chambers", used by the Birmingham Board of Aldermen until 1913 and thereafter by the new Birmingham City Commission for public meetings, originally occupied the 3rd floor, and later moved to the 2nd floor. In the original location, a public gallery wrapped three sides of the large chamber, supported on plaster fluted columns with elliptical arched openings. Smaller committee rooms were placed nearby. The chambers were finished in a grayish blue-green tint with a parti-colored ceiling of alternating pink and blue-green panels. The remainder of the 3rd floor housed a reception parlor and a double-height "drill hall"-cum-ballroom lit by electric chandeliers. The walls and ceiling were painted in red, white and blue with gold accents. The Birmingham Battalion and Troop D of the Alabama National Guard had armories and muster rooms adjoining the hall.

The building's attic was planned for use as storage. The tower held a fire alarm bell, and was expected to either be fitted with a large clock, or possibly equipped with four large searchlights to aid police. The cornerstone from the first city hall was laid up next to the new one. Former Mayor Thomas Jeffers was employed by the city as janitor for the new building.

A City Market operated on the ground floor of the building, at 1909-1913 4th Avenue North. In 1923-1925 it was managed by T. B. Tanner and J. M. Stewart.

The building was damaged by a fire in 1925, which destroyed the library and caused irreparable damage to the central tower. It was proposed that year that the city acquire Block 20, west of Woodrow Wilson Park as the site for a new City Hall and an option was placed to buy that block for $1,051,590.75, but was made contingent on selling the former site for $1,750,000.00 or more. The highest offer brought to the City Commission was $1,600,000.00, made by a syndicate of "real estate men" just days before the option expired and after the Commission had already engaged the Inglenook Construction Company to repair the older building.

Space in the Martin Office Building was provided for the city while repairs were made. The library relocated to a new building at Woodrow Wilson Park in 1927.

Another fire which broke out shortly after midnight on June 23, 1944, caused heavy damage to the fourth floor, housing the offices of the city comptroller and city engineer. Twenty companies responded to the blaze, which sent flames high into the air. Commissioner of Public Safety Bull Connor stated that the police radio, the antenna for which was on the roof of the building, was restored to service within an hour of the fire being successfully brought under control.

The 1902 building, without its tower and attic levels, continued to house city offices until 1950 when the new Birmingham City Hall was completed across from the Jefferson County Courthouse at Woodrow Wilson Park. Its cornerstone was removed and stacked with previous ones adjacent to the south entrance of the new building.

During early planning for the new city hall a consortium of real estate executives offered $1.5 million for the old building, but that offer was not accepted. Ultimately the city sold that property for $701,500.

Despite a 50-year-old newspaper prediction that "this building will endure until the destiny of the great city has been rounded out and measure of her greatness has been filled to overflowing," the vacant building was demolished in January 1952 and redeveloped as the 2-level City Parking Deck.

Offices

2nd floor
- 200: Birmingham Traffic Court (1935)
- 201-203: Birmingham Department of Public Safety, Health and Education (1935)
- 204-205: Birmingham City Clerk (1935)
- 205: Birmingham City Civil Service Board (1935)
- 206: Birmingham Department of Finance and General Administration (1935)
- 208–215: Birmingham Police Department / Traffic Division / WPFM-AM / Moving Inspector (1935)
- 212-214: Birmingham Bureau of Identification
- 218: Birmingham Police Department Woman's Department (1935)
- 221: Birmingham Recorder's Court (1935)
3rd floor
- 301: Birmingham Division of Child Hygiene and Public Health Nursing (1935)
- 302: Jefferson County Bureau of Sanitary Engineering (1935)
- 303–305: Birmingham Department of Health / Jefferson County Board of Health (1935)
- 304: Jefferson County Bureau of Records and Vital Statistics / Birmingham Bureau of Records and Vital Statistics (1935)
- 305: Birmingham Division of Food and Dairy Inspection (1935)
- 306: Birmingham Amusement Supervisor (1935)
- 308–311: Birmingham Division of Sanitation / Birmingham Division of Communicable Diseases (1935)
- 312-313: Jefferson County Health Department laboratory / Birmingham Health Department laboratory (1935)
- 314: Birmingham Department of Public Improvements / Garbage Superintendent (1935)
- 315–318: Birmingham Building Department / Birmingham Paved Street Department / Street Superintendent (1935)
- 319: Birmingham Bureau of Health Education and Publicity
4th floor
- 401: Birmingham Electrical Department / Birmingham Street Lighting Department / Birmingham Department of Weights and Measures (1935)
- 402: Birmingham City Purchasing Agent (1935)
- 407–408: Birmingham Engineering Department (1935)
- 410–416: Birmingham City Comptroller (1935)
- 417–420: Birmingham Law Department (1935)
- 423–424: Birmingham Park and Recreation Board (1935)
- 425–426: Birmingham Plumbing & Excavating Department (1935)
- 427: Birmingham Zoning Board of Adjustment (1935)

City Market

The "City Market" constructed in the City Hall building was an open space of 54 by 83 feet, guarded by collapsible iron doors. It was lit by a large skylight on its southern end was accessed by a 24-foot wide arched entryway on 19th Street, or from the main lobby of the building. Six additional 18 x 50 foot tenant spaces were available flanking the archway, which was fitted with large oak doors and a plate-glass transom set in a copper frame.