The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-10-25
THE NEW CITY HALL.
OUR MAN-ABOUT-TOWN TELLS
ITS HISTORY.
The CIT, shi,ersd and shook win NJ
Earthquake While the First Ground
WA. rc,pc HroLsn-Amount of Money
lxpeudcd-Noret Naked For.


ness. han that would reflect credit upon p
great and growing city like Richmond.
Rui the CITY had suffered grratiN.
The war had swept through u VIII rch
de.trucii,e hand. leaving 10 almost q mass
Of ruins.
The old CITY Hall escaped the raNagc. "
that time and while not the most imposing
building in the world. was e strong ~tfuc-
furc. comcly in appearance. and well adapt
sd for the purpose for which u was inicn"-
cd.
Rnt later on came the hcar-rending
Capiiol disaster. caused ly the falling ~ oi
The fror Of the courtroom. immediately
over the House Of Delegates IA the ~i''c-
house Of Virginia.
Tho people of Richmond appalled, by the
sudden death Of nearly ilWcc-~c0rc people.
caused hy an insecure building. became
nervous and uneasy about The 'lt> TAU.
That caused the old cts Han 60 Dee DOOM
ei. and itS condemnation sent forth
Morkmcn uudortoDkso pull down the old
building. when 20, and behold. ihe task was
found t. hc "a most difficult one. The house
stood on the sits upon which j. now being
r.arcd the new CITY Hail. and to judge
from the ionaciiy with which 10 struggled
srainst demolition had t been Ten uudi>-
fnrhcd ii would have been standing now.
Eai IL was razod. and ihc present City Hall
vas temporarily prepared toT the occupancy
(hanccry and Hastings Courts.
NECESSITY OF 5 NEW NAIL.
Tho necessity Of new City Hall had Dee
come 80 indclihly impressed upon tho public
H., The, iib,.- and Jokes that had been hurled
Of The building used for tine transaction Of
CITY business.
The people had become FESTIVE under the
continued promises made them. The 'oun-
eli 81 the city had taxed its ingenuity 10
tolVc the NeNcd quo~tloi-hnW 10 nuii0
suitable Hall and the selection ot % site.
This last question created great feeling.
The new spapcr- Of the city icli 90 discuss
ing IL. and the local press was filled with
cards and communications as io the most
eligible site Resolutions IN regard 90 the
matter were sprung I'M the council, ana the
.iiv orators made thr Council Chamber ring
with attempted cloquouce. Aiior lon- de-
law This matter was settled hN the selection
uf the old city Hall lot and thus one step
wa. made toward the realization Of the
lonc-dcicrred wish of the peopie--a new
CITY Hall
OBSTACLES N TuE WAY.
But new and unforeseen obstacles -pran-
up The question became one of paramount
Iccai-poiitical moment. WIS seized upon
and made Use of hy men who SAW iu 10 the
prospect of political pr0ieuucut.
The result was ihn ,hOri-liNcd partial slice
cess Of party calling Themselves Reforms
ers They undertook Che task OFF preparing
the WAY for tho actual work. tn. old lily
Hall lDt was enlarged ht tho purchase oi
the fuppcr property and th0 removal OF thc
First f'rs-hsfcridu Church. hfth oi which
siood ON the square between Tenth and
Eleventh. and Broad and Capitol streets.
To puii down ami remove these tuiit't--
and put up the church again took S'to11 OF
the S.jn.On appropriated h' ihe Council io
build the new city Hall.
PREPARING rLAt>.
The ncNt matter that created e hitch Wa-
the selection of place. From thc first ille
Council bad wisely determined o. pW lnI'
control of olnnel " ilirOJ l.. tui nav. City
Engineer. an the details Incidental to the
building of IT, nail. NJ better selection
.,n.4hi iia,c been made and with his usual
determination b. sci about his work.
IL advertised for plans and specifications
for the hail. and received from various parts
Of the | Mon replies. notably. from W aii- *
Gutter and MNer~ * ION. their plans being
rated first and second. Drawings repre-
scniin- the proposed huildin- were exhibit
ed in The council Chamber. and the W aiie
4 Cutter plan Was adopted. ~e~tVurnilN
the Myers plan Was substituted ana the
citv was threatened with Law slit 10y
Waite \ Gutter, bat the matter WIS commo-
mi~,I and Wait. a cutter received nearly
$1,000. All that the city has to show for
thi- amount H. "a picture of tine Waite a cut
ter plan" 1hi- hangs in the Council tham-
Der. and j. perhaps The most costly picture
Of the Kind in this country.
FIRST GEoJ Nd HEokEN.
con- the night OF August "l~i. l>s6. little
more than three YEAR, ago. Colonel Z. !. J..
BurgWyn started the piow- to work on the
old lit, Hall lot. and this wa. practically
the breaking of the ground for the new City
Hall
shortly after jho plow- commenced work
tn cify shook from the commissions If an
earthquake.
The next day iu tine presence of the Conn
mittec ON Grounds and buildings. numer-
.ou- other councilmcn. city officers. and "a
number Of ciiiIpn~. little Miss Pnliui,
daughter Of Captain Andrew illlini. Dr..
and Master Bland. ~on of J.. r. Bland. threw
The first spade illl 0f dirt.
Onc foreman. foriy-tWO men. two water
bow. and foriy-two mules and carts We're
immediately st 90 work making the eNca-
walton. The work WIS pushed ahead Ni@-
oro.-ly under the direction Of Colonel CUT
shaw. and by March of next year was -o
near completion a. 90 suggest the idea OF
making preparations fO Lay ihe cornerstone.
HE COMMITTEES ACTION.
The Committee on Grounds and Building-
a, that time was composed of tine following
chairman. and Mc,Sr-. Andrew fizllni. jr
Louis u. Cren~hlW. Jr.. ". e. Amm0u-,
Evan ~ncad. Colonel tul~haW WAS always
ON hand al the meetings OF the committee,
and while not voting his opinions AWAY
carried weight. On the lith Of March I,s"
the committee adopted the follow Ing fesplu-
lion.
..Thai the cornerstone of the new City
Hall De laid ON tho 9th day of April. l>>s.
and that The Grand Lodge of Ma~On- of the
State of Virginia hc requested fn oihrintr ON
the occasion: that Rev. VI. u. lIoge. II. D..
l,c requested 10 offer zap the opening prayer,
and that Judge Beverly r. Wexford. Jr..
be- requested 10 deliver the Grafton; that the
miliiar, and civic societies of tine citl and
civ officials and employees he requested 20
take pant i'm the parade. AMI That Major y. \.
Randolph be named az chief marshall.
Pursuant 10 this resolution. a great gath
ring of the people took place.
The idea wac patent that We were 90 have
a now city Hall. and the city reioiced.
business was almost entirely suspended.
and the greatest interest prevailed.
LAYING THE coHNEE-sIoNf
There was "a grand street parade in which
cnuld lc seen officers of the various city
departments. the Grand Lodge Of NH-on~.
fhe military. many Of .lc secret societies oi
th. city of Richmond. the city Council and
liz Oiuc'i~. N'-ih'N 'tll.i Nl = A"iT'''''.' anu
private individuals. The line of march was
along the principal streets to the old cit,
Hall LOT where the ceremonies were ill.,
a1rurated by PRAYER offered hy Rev. Dr..
Mo.c, -. lIoee. Of the second Presbyterian
Church.
judge Beverly Il. Wexford delivered am
excellent Grafton. in which De reviewed The
history of the city and oar government.
In his remarks feeling and extended al-
,,.inu was made to the late war. Here il a
specimcm, while spcakin. Of ihc fan OF
Richmond.
Iii. hriefliycd history had closed closed
fore,cr-and closed in disaster. hut not in
disgrace.
Tho voice Of tine outside world was that
an was lost but honor, and H. generous SYM
pathes awaited the wall Of people IA Ms
We Bnt no such wall Was heard from this
stricken people