Municipal Building Commission
Historic Photos
Construction of the City Hall and Courthouse building was a feat to say the least. Huge blocks of granite -- some weighing as much as 26 tons each -- were transported by horse and wagon from Ortonville, Minnesota. The downtown Minneapolis landscape also has changed significantly since the building's inception in the late 1800s. As time has passed and events have occurred, the building has endured as a lasting icon for Minneapolis and Hennepin County. Peruse the historic photo archive for a look into the founding and life of the City Hall and Courthouse as well as some close-ups of key building features.


Image Gallery: Historic Photo Archive
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. 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. 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. 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. 
See all 24 images.




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Last modified on 11/14/2007 4:20:35 PM