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Minneapolis, 1857 The block on which City Hall and Courthouse stands today was once home to farms, small businesses and even two schoolhouses, such as those pictured in this early photo. In the lower right of the photograph is the Minnesota Democrat, the first newspaper published on the west side of the Mississippi, and a mercantile store. 
Minneapolis, 1857 The bl...		Arch Bridge with City Hall and Courthouse in Distance A view of the clock tower, seen in the upper left corner from the Arch Bridge connecting Minneapolis to St. Anthony.
Arch Bridge with City Hal...		Old City Hall The first Minneapolis City Hall was erected in the heart of the Gateway District where Hennepin and Nicollet Avenues converge. Built in the Empire style, it was designed by Long before his partnership with Kees. The flagpole that stood at its main entrance (not pictured) may still be seen today in nearly the same location from over a century ago.
Old City Hall The first ...		City Hall and Courthouse A familiar view of the City Hall and Courthouse from the northwest. As seen in the photograph, the magnificent structure dwarfed surrounding buildings, such as the row houses to the west and across the block. It remained the tallest building in Minneapolis until the construction of the Foshay Tower in the 1920s. 
City Hall and Courthouse ...
Hennepin Avenue Suspension Bridge The predecessor to the present Hennepin Avenue bridge, the early suspension bridge connecting what is now downtown to St. Anthony.
Hennepin Avenue Suspensio...		Aerial View of City Hall and Courthouse from the East The clock tower of the City Hall and Courthouse can be seen against the background of the University of Minnesota campus in the foreground.
Aerial View of City Hall ...		Residential View of City Hall and Courthouse Noted as its most prominent feature, the clock tower of the City Hall and Courthouse can be seen in the far distance from this view looking north up Park Avenue.
Residential View of City ...		Largest Block of Granite A largest block of granite, weighing 23 tons, caps the archway to the basement access entry. All the granite to build the City Hall and Courthouse was hauled from Ortonville, Minnesota over 160 miles away by horse and cart.
Largest Block of Granite ...
Construction of Attic An early advertisement for a construction company shows the attic of the City Hall and Courthouse before its completion.
Construction of Attic An...		Artist's Sketch of Laying of Cornerstone  This drawing commemorates the laying of the cornerstone in 1891, one of three celebrations open to the public during the nearly twenty years required to construct the City Hall and Courthouse.
Artist's Sketch of Laying...		Father of Waters Mississippi, or the Father of Waters as he is better known, has graced the rotunda of City Hall and Courthouse since 1904. Sculpted from the largest piece of marble taken from the famed Carrara quarries in Italy, he weighs over 14,000 pounds. Read more about the Father of Waters by clicking here. 
Father of Waters Mississ...		Clock Tower Bell Carillon Another celebrated feature of the City Hall and Courthouse is the carillon of 15 bells. At the time of installation, they were heralded to be the most finely pitched bells in the nation, if not the world. They are still chimed on all official holidays and other special occasions.
Clock Tower Bell Carillon...
Exterior View of Clock Face The four clock faces of the clock tower are said to rival Big Ben's in size being, according to different sources, either a few inches larger or a few inches smaller. Note the repairman leaning out through one of the clock's access panels.
Exterior View of Clock Fa...		Interior View of Clock Face A view of a clock from inside the clock tower during the installation of a new clock face.
Interior View of Clock Fa...		Interior View of Clock Room and Clock Mechanism A look at one of the original mechanisms that rotated the clocks' arms. It has long since been replaced with an automated system.
Interior View of Clock Ro...		Clock Tower Elevator A glance inside the clock tower elevator dated c. 1955 taken for a local newspaper. The elevator still exists today as seen in this photograph accommodating three to four people in very small and confined area for a ride that is equivalent to 13 stories. 
Clock Tower Elevator A g...
Original City Council Chamber The original city council chambers, located on the third floor of the City Hall and Courthouse, was the most elaborately decorated interior when the building opened to the public. Among its extraordinary features was a ceiling that soared overhead with vaults that occupied part of the fifth floor.
Original City Council Cha...		Original Cathedral Courtroom The main courtroom, located on the third floor of the City Hall and Courthouse, matched the city council chambers in its grandness. Designed in the Arts and Craft style imported from Britain, it reflected the overall look of the building emphasizing the acanthus leaf motifs, coffered ceilings and large arches.
Original Cathedral Courtr...		Grotesque Guarding Elevators 41 different grotesques are carved into the columns found around ground floor elevators in the rotunda. About four inches in height, they were mistakenly attributed to Henry Chalker, but later found to be the work of Guwond. Similar faces are found on the exterior of the Masonic Temple at the corner of Hennepin Avenue and Sixth Street.
Grotesque Guarding Elevat...		City Hall and Courthouse Office A typical office is shown in this photograph dating around the turn of the 20th-century. Note the rug on the floor and paintings on the walls. What remains today are only the beautifully paneled doors.
City Hall and Courthouse ...
Artist's Sketch of the Crow's Nest This sketch shows the crow's nest that was open to the public until just after World War I. More than 100,000 citizens annually made the trek up the circular iron staircase that ascends the clock tower in its southwest corner. From the nest, people experienced a panoramic vista very few had ever seen in the days proceeding the advent of skyscrapers. 
Artist's Sketch of the Cr...		View from Crow's Nest Aside from a panoramic 360 degree view, visitors to the crow's nest were also delighted with this precarious look down to the street below.
View from Crow's Nest As...		Installing the Copper Roof The original roof of the City Hall and Courthouse was of red slate tile. Because of the extreme temperature changes, these heavy tiles occasionally fell to the street below endangering passersby. This prompted the MBC to install a copper roof over the original roof, of which the underside may still be seen today from inside the attic. Because of the pitch of the roof, a specially designed cart was invented to carry the steeplejacks up and down the steep incline. 
Installing the Copper Roo...		Minneapolis Police Department Corridor Views of the interior such as this one show how much the building has evolved over a century of use. Because it was the first public building constructed with the entire support resting on the exterior walls, the interior space was and continues to be subject to great change.
Minneapolis Police Depart...

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