National Register of Historic Places

Battle Creek City Hall

Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan
Listed
April 4, 1984
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
84001377

About this property

The Battle Creek City Hall is a governmental building located at 103 East Michigan Avenue in Battle Creek, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984. Battle Creek was first settled by Europeans in 1835. A village government was established in 1850, and the community was incorporated as a city in 1859. In 1867/68, the first city hall building was constructed, located at 25 West Michigan Avenue. However, the city continued to grow, and by the turn of the century this building was no longer adequate to house city government. In 1907, Mayor Charles c. Green put a special committee together to begin planning for a new city hall. The committee identified possible sites, and the location at 103 E. Michigan was chosen by public referendum. The site was purchased, but it was not until 1912 that the city hired local architect Ernest W. Arnold to prepare plans for a new city hall. Arnold delivered plans later that year, and in early 1913 the city contracted with the S. B. Cole Construction Company of Detroit to construct the building. Construction began in 1913 and was completed in 1914. As the city expanded over the next century, the fire and police headquarters moved out of the building to new structures, but the building remains home to the city government. The Battle Creek City Hall is a steel frame Neoclassical structure on a concrete foundation, standing three stories tall with an additional attic level. It has a broad front with rusticated limestone masonry on the first floor and red brick on the upper stories with limestone quoining at the corners. The front consists of five sections: projecting three-bay-wide units at each end, slightly recessed two-bay units inward, and a projecting center mass containing the main entrance. The central entrance consists of three recessed, arched entrance-ways in the base section sheltered by a six-column Ionic portico. Upper story window surrounds are made of cast concrete, and the facade contains a wealth of classical detailing, including rosettes, dentils, beadwork, and egg-and-tongue moldings in the entablature and spandrel panels. The rear of the building has a similar five-part facade with entryway, but lacks the portico. The sides are shorter, and have similar entryways.

Location

103 E. Michigan Ave.
Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Michigan
42.31682, -85.17932

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Battle Creek Post Office
Industrial
0.1 mi
City Hall Historic District
Industrial
0.1 mi
Arnold, Adam C., Block
Industrial
0.2 mi
Old-Merchants National Bank and Trust Co. Building
Industrial
0.3 mi
Penn Central Railway Station
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was Battle Creek City Hall listed on the National Register?

Battle Creek City Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on April 4, 1984.

What type of historic resource is Battle Creek City Hall?

Battle Creek City Hall is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Battle Creek City Hall?

The period of significance for Battle Creek City Hall is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Battle Creek City Hall?

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