Bronx Borough Hall
| Bronx Borough Hall | |
|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|
| Former names | The Bronx Municipal Building; Old Bronx Borough Hall |
| General information | |
| Type | Municipal Building |
| Architectural style | Renaissance |
| Location | Third Avenue & , The Bronx, New York |
| Coordinates | 40°50′46″N 73°53′44″W / 40.845975°N 73.895506°WCoordinates: 40°50′46″N 73°53′44″W / 40.845975°N 73.895506°W |
| Completed | 1897 |
| Demolished | 1969 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | George B. Post |
| Designations | New York City Landmark 1965. Released from Landmark Status 1966 |
The Bronx Municipal Building, later known as Bronx Borough Hall and eventually as Old Bronx Borough Hall (1897–1969), was the original administrative headquarters of the Bronx Borough President and other local civic leaders in the Bronx, New York City.
Considered an architectural accomplishment of its era, it was located atop the rocky plateau of the northwest section of present-day Tremont Park, which was originally an extension of Crotona Park, southeast of the intersection of East Tremont Avenue and Third Avenue. The elevation of the building allowed for exceptional views from distances at many angles, and it was the converging point for civic affairs. The IRT Third Avenue Line, the first elevated railway line in the borough, strategically ran along the bustling neighborhoods and made a station stop in front of the building at the Tremont Avenue – 177th Street station, where a hub of trolley lines met.
Designed by George B. Post (1837-1913), a prominent New York City architect of the period, the three-story building facing west was picturesque, stylized in a Renaissance decor, with pale yellow brick and brown terra-cotta trim contrast. Post's most famous accomplishments include the main building of the at 8 Broad Street and the long-gone Western Union Building, which stood at Broadway and Dey Street in Manhattan. Russell Sturgis, writing in Architectural Record in 1896, lauded the design as a 'common sense building with pleasant architectural results.'
In 1874, the western section of present-day Bronx was annexed to New York City as the Northern annex. By then the area had approximately 40,000 people. The region was growing rapidly as by 1890 the population grew to nearly 90,000. City officials saw the demand and necessity to create a location for civic use to cater to the region. In 1891, the first district-wide official was elected, a Commissioner of Street Improvements. His agency and others developed and so required office space. By 1895 the eastern section of the present-day Bronx was annexed to the city. These expansions, along with the influx of immigrants of the period, more than doubled the population of the city to approximately 200,000. In 1895, Commissioner Louis F. Haffen, serving since 1893, led a successful campaign for a new building. The Bronx Municipal Building was completed in 1897. In 1898 the building was renamed Bronx Borough Hall when the other three boroughs were finally annexed to New York City. Louis F. Haffen became the first Bronx Borough President and was inaugurated in a second-floor office in the same year.
...
Wikipedia