Georgetown City Hall
| Georgetown City Hall | |
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| General information | |
| Type | City Hall |
| Architectural style | Gothic Revival |
| Location | Georgetown, Guyana |
| Coordinates | 6°48′40″N 58°09′54″W / 6.81102°N 58.165054°W |
| Completed | 1889 |
| Cost | $54,826,62 (Guyanese dollars) |
| Owner | Georgetown City Council |
| Height | 29.3 metres |
| Dimensions | |
| Diameter | 17.4 metres |
| Other dimensions | 27.1 metres (length) |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Father Scoles |
Georgetown City Hall is a nineteenth-century Gothic Revival building located on the corner of Regent Street and Avenue of the Republic in Georgetown, Guyana. The building was designed by architect Reverend Ignatius Scoles in 1887, and was completed in June 1889. The building houses the offices of the Mayor, the City Council, and the City Engineer.
Georgetown City Hall is often described as "the most picturesque structure" and "the most handsome building in Georgetown", as well as "one of the finest examples of Gothic architecture in the Caribbean". In 1995, the Government of Guyana proposed Georgetown City Hall as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The building currently occupies the status of "tentative listing".
Planning for the construction of a Town Hall in Georgetown began in 1854, not long after the formation of the Town Council in 1937. Initially, councillors proposed that the building should be located either in front of Stabroek Market or on the corner of Church Street and Main Street (now the location of the National Library of Guyana).
On 22 November 1886, the Town Council endorsed proposals for the construction of a Town Hall, and a Committee - led by the Mayor - was formed to supervise the design of the building. Shortly afterwards Mayor George Anderson Forshaw purchased the site where the present building now stands. The Committee met on 17 March 1887, and were joined by the Cesar Castellani (himself the architect of many prominent buildings in Georgetown). They chose a design entitled "Damus Pitimusque Vicissim" (a Latin phrase meaning "we give and we ask in turn") by Reverend Ignatius Scoles - an architect who had designed a number of churches in Europe. Scoles was awarded a prize of $50, which he declined. The building contract was given to Sprostons and Sons of the La Penitence Woodworking Company.
At 2pm on 23 December 1887, Governor Henry Turner Irving laid the foundation stone for the City Hall. The foundation stone was laid at the North East corner of the main building, along with a glass jar containing original documents relating to the building, copies of the leading newspapers of British Guiana at that time - The Royal Gazette, The Argosy and The Daily Chronicle, a portrait of Queen Victoria, and a number of coins. The Foundation Ceremony was accompanied by the Militia Band.
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