Alexandria City HallsAlexandria's first city hall, built in 1860, was one of the few buildings not burned in 1864 when the town was razed by federal troops during the Civil War's Red River campaign. However, the building's 20-foot wide sidewalk was dismantled and its stones were used by Union forces in constructing Bailey's Dam in the river nearby where U.S. gunboats were stranded above the rapids.The hall's lower floor served as a market place, fire station, paint shop, and prison, while upper floors housed the city court, council chamber, and judge's office. The building also served as opera house and place of worship for Methodist and Episcopal congregations whose churches were destroyed in the 1864 fire.The "new city hall", built in 1909-1910 of marble and brick, was said then to be second to none in the state. George R. Mann of Little Rock, Arkansas, was the architect. The council chamber, with a seating capacity of 550, was a large domed room with ornamental plaster-work, mahogany-stained birch woodwork, pure white walls with ornamental cornices, and a floor of straight-edged grain heart pine. Hall floors were of octagon-shaped tiles set in white concrete with baseboards of Tennessee marble. Among other rooms were offices for the mayor, city judge, city marshall, city attorney, treasurer, city engineer,
city clerk, and superintendent of waterworks and electric light. The building was constructed at a cost of $54,000.00; lights, wiring, and fixtures totaled $1,600.00; screening was $250.00;and heating was $1,800.00. Total expenditures, including $3500.00 for furnishings were $61,140.00. Keys to the new city hall were tendered to Mayor J.P. Turregano on August 2, 1910.The second city hall served Alexandria for more than 50 years. The building was torn down in 1963-1964 for the construction of Alexandria's third city hall.
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