Old City Hall, as pictured today.
Source: Ebyabe, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
Old City Hall sits at the corner of Newcastle and Mansfield Street, and has seen the test of time. Alfred Eichburg, out of Savannah, designed the building, which took three years to build with a total cost of $33,000. The building began construction in 1886 and was completed in 1889, and a clock/bell tower was added in 1893. The architectural style of the building is “Richardsonian Romanesque”, and has Queen Anne parallels. The clock tower and side entries are lined with elaborate terracotta friezes, and the corner columns house gargoyles. The floors are a mix of heart-pine and marble, and original fireplaces and gaslit fixtures adorn the building. The exterior of the building is granite and brick.
The building was fully restored by taxpayer money in 2004, and reopened that year. Currently, Old City Hall doubles as an extra courtroom for the county, as well as a private venue space.
