Meridian City Hall
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Municipal Building
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City Hall after restoration in early 2012
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| Location | 601 24th Ave, Meridian, Mississippi |
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| Coordinates | 32°21′49″N 88°42′8″W / 32.36361°N 88.70222°WCoordinates: 32°21′49″N 88°42′8″W / 32.36361°N 88.70222°W |
| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1915 |
| Built by | Hancock & McArthur |
| Architect | P.J. Krouse |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| Restored | 2006–2012 |
| MPS | Meridian MRA |
| NRHP Reference # | 79003399 |
| USMS # | 075-MER-0150-NR-ML |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1979 |
| Designated USMS | May 6, 1988 |
City Hall in Meridian, Mississippi in the United States is located at 601 24th Avenue. Originally designed by architect P.J. Krouse in 1915, the building underwent several renovations during the 1950s that diminished the historic quality of the building. City Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and as a Mississippi Landmark in 1988. After complaints of a faulty HVAC system, the building underwent a restoration to its original 1915 appearance beginning in September 2006. The project was originally estimated to cost $7–8 million and last two years. Because of several factors including the building's listings on historic registers, a lawsuit filed by a subcontractor, and unforeseen structural problems, the final cost and duration of the renovation far exceeded original estimates. The renovation was completed in January 2012 at a total cost projected to reach around $25 million after interest on debt.
The building is home to many city offices, including that of Percy Bland, the current mayor of Meridian.
Before the current city hall was built in 1915, the city government operated out of a building built in 1885 and designed by Gustav Torgenson, the same architect that designed the Riley Center in 1889. Architects R.H. Hunt, C.L. Hutchisson, and P.J. Krouse competed for the chance to design the new city hall in March 1914. Krouse was chosen to design the building on April 15, 1914, and Hutchisson was named the consulting architect. C.O. Craft is listed as the superintendent of the building, C.H. Miller as the superintendent for the architect, and Hancock & MacArthur are listed as contractors.
The building was originally built in the Beaux Arts style. There were no major alterations to the building until the 1950s, when modern conveniences were added. Air conditioning was added to the building, necessitating drop ceilings to make room for the ducts, which obscured the original plaster moulding in the interior. Wood panelling was added to create more offices out of the large chambers present in the original design, and mahogany windows were replaced with aluminum ones. Windows on the ground floor were filled with concrete during the 1950s as well. City governments, believing they were making improvements to the building, actually harmed it or diminished its historical value. Terracotta tiles were painted over, which trapped moisture inside the tiles and caused parts of the building to rot. Scagliola columns were painted blue, wood and marble floors were covered with linoleum, and the grand staircase was replaced with an elevator.
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