Irvington Town Hall

Last updated

Irvington Town Hall
Irvington Town Hall full.jpg
Front (south) elevation, 2006
Location Irvington, NY
Nearest city Yonkers
Coordinates 41°02′20″N73°52′05″W / 41.03889°N 73.86806°W / 41.03889; -73.86806
Built1902 [1]
ArchitectAlfred J. Manning [1]
Architectural style Colonial Revival
Part of Irvington Historic District (ID01300195)
NRHP reference No. 84000205
Added to NRHP1984

Irvington Town Hall [lower-alpha 1] is located on Main Street in the village of Irvington in the U.S. state of New York. In addition to being home to the village government, police department, and until 2000 the public library, it has a public reading room in keeping with the requirements of the original land deed. A 432-seat theatre, used for many local gatherings such as school graduations, was also built on the second story. [2]

Contents

The Town Hall was built in 1902 from a design by local architect Albert J. Manning, an early use of the Colonial Revival architectural style for a civic building. The inside also features glasswork and mosaics by Louis Comfort Tiffany, whose father, Charles Lewis Tiffany, had an estate in the village. These two factors led to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984, and has also been a contributing property to the Irvington Historic District since 2014.

Building

The two-story brick building is seven bays square on a raised basement of randomly coursed stone. The facade is trimmed in terra cotta and stone. The former is used for the window lintels and sills as well as an intermediate cornice; the latter for the water table. It is topped with a shallow hipped roof that has some of its original metal sheathing. [1]

Clock tower detail Irvington Town Hall clock tower.jpg
Clock tower detail

At the second story of the front facade, there is a balustraded projecting portico three bays wide with freestanding engaged Ionic columns and Doric pilasters supporting a full entablature with denticulated pediment. It is in turn topped with a three-stage wooden clock tower with round-arched louvered openings, paired Corinthian columns supporting block entablatures and paired scroll brackets. The very top of Town Hall is the clock tower's domed roof. This feature has made the clock tower one of Irvington's most recognizable local landmarks. [1]

The main entrance uses an arched Gibbs-style surround. The building's trim materials show up in the form of solid stone balustrades that curl to form newel posts at the sidewalk, and terra cotta quoins. The rear facade is less detailed, with terra cotta used only for the coping of the stepped cornice; stone and brick are used everywhere else. [1]

Much of the interior is in paneled dark wood, with wainscoting in some rooms. In the library, the dark wood is used for ceiling beams with famous literary quotations inscribed in gold leaf. It is lit by chandeliers and lanterns designed by Louis Comfort Tiffany. Its plaster walls give way to a domed ceiling and display niches in the main area, with some open areas featuring decorative corbels. [1]

The theater features a complete orchestra and balcony section, with the private booths featuring round openings separated by Doric posts with Adamesque detail. The proscenium arch also includes heavy classical detailing. [1]

History

The property where Town Hall now stands was first developed in 1869, when a local organization called the Mental and Moral Improvement Society built what it called the Atheneum, which housed a circulating library. During the last decades of the 19th century, the village grew rapidly, and by the 1890s needed a central place to house its various governmental functions. In 1892 the society conveyed the Atheneum property to the village with the condition that it maintain, in perpetuity, a library and reading room in the building and construct the building within five years. [1]

After the village had not been able to find a suitable architect by 1897, the society agreed to a five-year extension. Manning, a former office manager to New York City architect Robert Robertson, finally produced a design the village liked, and it was completed and opened in 1902, at the end of the extension. Financial assistance came from some of the village's wealthier residents. Frederick W. Guiteau, a member of the society, endowed the library with $10,000 which he had apparently originally intended to bequeath to it in his will. [3] Helen Gould, who had grown up in the nearby Lyndhurst estate as the daughter of Jay Gould, contributed the cost of the interior finishings and made Tiffany's work possible. The Arts and Crafts furniture she bought is still in use. [1]

The new town hall became the center of Irvington's public life the village had envisioned. The theatre in particular was used for public events such as school graduation ceremonies, police and fire balls, plays and other cultural events. Eleanor Roosevelt spoke at a Democratic rally just before her husband was elected President in 1932. [1] Opera singer Lillian Nordica performed there, and Ted Mack auditioned talent for his Original Amateur Hour there as well. [4]

In the mid-20th century, the library needed space and took over the stair area leading up to the theater. A tower was added to the rear exterior to compensate. After the state fire code was revised in the 1960s, however, the theatre no longer met those standards and could not be used as a public space. The library used it as storage space afterwards, with a few occasional public exhibitions, as it continued to deteriorate. [4] In 1978, the Irvington Town Hall Theatre Group raised $100,000, mostly from the village, for the necessary improvements and restoration of earlier period details such as light fixtures. It reopened in late 1981 and has been in use ever since. [1]

By the 1990s the library was again in need of space, and had to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act requiring greater physical accessibility. It moved into another local historic structure, the Lord and Burnham Building on South Astor Street, but a reading room, the so-called "Tiffany Room", remains in the Town Hall, to fulfill the requirements of the original deed. [5] [6]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Irvington, New York</span> Village in New York, United States

Irvington, sometimes known as Irvington-on-Hudson, is a suburban village in the town of Greenburgh in Westchester County, New York, United States. It's a suburb of New York City, 20 miles (32 km) north of midtown Manhattan in New York City, and is served by a station stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line. To the north of Irvington is the village of Tarrytown, to the south the village of Dobbs Ferry, and to the east unincorporated parts of Greenburgh, including East Irvington. Irvington includes within its boundaries the community of Ardsley-on-Hudson, which has its own ZIP code and Metro-North station, but which should not be confused with the nearby village of Ardsley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterbury Union Station</span> United States historic place

The Waterbury Union Station building is located on Meadow Street in the city of Waterbury, Connecticut, United States. It is a brick building dating to the first decade of the 20th century. Its tall clock tower, built by the Seth Thomas Company, is the city's most prominent landmark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tarrytown Music Hall</span>

The Music Hall, in Tarrytown, New York, United States, is located on West Main Street downtown. It is a brick structure in the Queen Anne architectural style erected in the late 19th century. In 1980, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wayne State University Buildings</span> Historic district in Michigan, United States

The Wayne State University historic district consists of three buildings on 4735-4841 Cass Avenue in Midtown Detroit, Michigan: the Mackenzie House, Hilberry Theatre, and Old Main, all on the campus of Wayne State University. The buildings were designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1957 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">First Universalist Church (Somerville, Massachusetts)</span> Historic church in Massachusetts, United States

The First Universalist Church is a historic Universalist Church building at 125 Highland Avenue in Somerville, Massachusetts. The Romanesque church building was built between 1916 and 1923 to a design by Ralph Adams Cram, and is the only example of his work in Somerville. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989. It is currently owned by the Highland Masonic Building Association, and is the home of King Solomon's Lodge AF & AM, the builders of the Bunker Hill Monument.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmer Memorial Hall</span> United States historic place

Palmer Memorial Hall is a historic hall at 1029 Central Street in Palmer, Massachusetts, United States. The Romanesque building was designed by New York City architect R. H. Robertson and constructed in 1890 as a memorial to the town's Civil War dead; it was also used as a meeting space by the local Grand Army of the Republic veterans society. The ground floor served as the town's public library until 1977. It has since served as Palmer's Senior Center. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings</span> Historic commercial buildings in Michigan, United States

The Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings, also known as the Monroe Block, is a historic district located along a block-and-a-half stretch at 16-118 Monroe Avenue in Detroit, Michigan, just off Woodward Avenue at the northern end of Campus Martius. The district was designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975. The thirteen original buildings were built between 1852 and 1911 and ranged from two to five stories in height. The National Theatre, built in 1911, was the oldest surviving theatre in Detroit, a part of the city's original theatre district of the late 19th century, and the sole surviving structure from the original Monroe Avenue Commercial Buildings historic period.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rialto Theater (Tacoma, Washington)</span> United States historic place

The Rialto Theatre in Tacoma, Washington was built in 1918 to showcase movies. Its design reflects the affluence following World War I. It reflects the character of a palace and is the result of efforts by entrepreneur Henry T. Moore and Tacoma architect Roland E. Borhek. Designed to hold 1500 patrons and retail space. The two-and-a-half-story structure is in the historic downtown of Tacoma. The area has long been associated with theaters and entertainment. The theater is freestanding, with a dramatic view on an incline with a classical façade sheathed of glazed white terra cotta. Both the interior and exterior retain most of the original design of Roland E. Borhek. The theater has an auditorium, proscenium with stage, a relocated projection booth, balcony, lobby, and commercial space. It has been altered with the removal of the storefronts and marquee. On the inside, the lobby's decorative ceiling has been hidden and the concession areas expanded.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Newport Opera House</span> United States historic place

The Newport Opera House is a historic civic building and performing arts venue at 20 Main Street in the heart of downtown Newport, the county seat of Sullivan County, New Hampshire, United States. Built in 1886, it was billed as having the largest stage in New England north of Boston, and continues to serve as a performance venue today. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, as "Town Hall and Courthouse", in 1980, for its architecture and civic roles, and is a contributing property in the Newport Downtown Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Toowoomba City Hall</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Toowoomba City Hall is a heritage-listed town hall at 541 Ruthven Street, Toowoomba, Toowoomba Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Willoughby Powell and built in 1900 by Alexander Mayne. It is also known as Toowoomba Town Hall. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waterbury Municipal Center Complex</span> United States historic place

The Waterbury Municipal Center Complex, also known as the Cass Gilbert National Register District, is a group of five buildings, including City Hall, on Field and Grand streets in Waterbury, Connecticut, United States. They are large stone and brick structures, all designed by Cass Gilbert in the Georgian Revival and Second Renaissance Revival architectural styles, built during the 1910s. In 1978 they were designated as a historic district and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. They are now contributing properties to the Downtown Waterbury Historic District.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Washington School (Ossining, New York)</span> United States historic place

The former Washington School is located on Croton Avenue in the village of Ossining, New York, United States. It was built in 1907 in the Beaux-Arts style, one of two in the village to use it. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old Ipswich Town Hall</span> Historic site in Queensland, Australia

Old Ipswich Town Hall is a heritage-listed former town hall at 116 Brisbane Street, Ipswich, City of Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by James Percy Owen Cowlishaw and built from 1861 to 1879. It is also known as Mechanics School of Arts and the School of Arts. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 21 October 1992.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Main Library (Erie, Pennsylvania)</span> United States historic place

The Main Library, also known as the Erie Public Library, combines elements of the Beaux Arts Classicism and Second Renaissance Revival styles of architecture. Both were commonly used at the end of the nineteenth century to convey the importance of public buildings. The building features arched openings, a prominent cornice, swag and garland decorations, and a roofline balustrade. It is clad in Pompeian red brick. The original facade is dominated by a marble portico, which was removed and stored by previous owners. It was reassembled and conserved as part of the renovation, recapturing the library's original grandeur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skowhegan Free Public Library</span> United States national historic place

The Skowhegan Free Public Library is the public library of Skowhegan, Maine. It is located at 9 Elm Street, in an architecturally significant Queen Anne brick building designed by Edwin E. Lewis and completed in 1890. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The library is managed by the Bloomfield Academy Trustees.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Old City Hall (Tacoma, Washington)</span> United States historic place

The Old City Hall is a five-story building in Tacoma, Washington that served as the city hall in the early 20th century. The building features a ten-story clocktower on the southeast corner, facing the intersection of Pacific Avenue and S 7th Street.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pantages Theater (Tacoma, Washington)</span> United States historic place

The Pantages Theatre or Jones Building in Tacoma, Washington was designed by the architect B. Marcus Priteca. The unusual structure opened in January 1918. It was designed to be an office building and a vaudeville theatre. The theater's Second Renaissance Revival style is juxtaposed with the Commercial style. The exterior above the ground floor is largely unaltered. The building still houses entertainment and commercial activities

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Corn exchanges in England</span> Commodity trading halls in England

Corn exchanges are distinct buildings which were originally created as a venue for corn merchants to meet and arrange pricing with farmers for the sale of wheat, barley, and other corn crops. The word "corn" in British English denotes all cereal grains, such as wheat and barley. With the repeal of the Corn Laws in 1846, a large number of corn exchanges were built in England, particularly in the corn-growing areas of Eastern England.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">University of Michigan Central Campus Historic District</span> United States historic place

The University of Michigan Central Campus Historic District is a historic district consisting of a group of major buildings on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cumberland Town Hall Historic District</span> Historic district in Rhode Island, United States

The Cumberland Town Hall District is a historic district encompassing two buildings of civic and architectural significance in Cumberland, Rhode Island. It includes Cumberland's town hall, located at 45 Broad Street in the village of Valley Falls, and an adjacent commercial building at 16 Mill Street, which was historically used for commercial and civic functions. The town hall, built in 1894, was the town's first purpose-built municipal building, and is a prominent example of Colonial Revival architecture, designed by Rhode Island architect William R. Walker. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2019.

References

Explanatory notes

  1. Despite the name of this building, Irvington is incorporated as a village under New York law, and is part of the town of Greenburgh.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 O'Brien, Austin (July 19, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places nomination, Irvington Town Hall". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation . Retrieved June 21, 2008.
  2. "Irvington Town Hall". Irvington Historical Society. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
  3. "Big Bequest to Cornell" New York Times (October 8, 1903)
  4. 1 2 "History". Irvington Town Hall Theater. Archived from the original on June 9, 2008. Retrieved June 21, 2008.
  5. "Irvington Town Hall: National Register of Historic Places, 1984". Irvington Historical Society. Retrieved May 15, 2009.
  6. "A Short History of Irvington Public Library". Irvington Public Library. Archived from the original on June 18, 2009. Retrieved June 20, 2008. In the late 1990s, the Library Board concluded that a new library was essential for more space, better access for those with disabilities and to support new technologies. On January 28th, 2000, the library officially opened in its new quarters at the historic Burnham Building at 12 South Astor Street.