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Merrill City Hall, 1977

Merrill, WI. Merrill City Hall prior to rehabilitation. View the property record: AHI 21761

In 1889, community leaders in the city of Merrill had the foresight, and found the resources, to construct this beautiful monument to the city. Designed by architect T. D. Allen, it housed city offices, the jail and, for its first 20 years, the T. B. Scott Free Library.

Later, as City Hall aged, it seemed inefficient and out of style to modern eyes. The city made a number of expedient changes to the building over the years, including unattractive, blocky vestibule additions, major changes to the interiors, and siding over the top of the clock tower.

Then, in 1977, the city abandoned the building for newer quarters. Local preservationists, in an attempt to save the building, listed it on the National Register of Historic Places. The city sold it to a private owner for $312 in 1978, but no use could be found for the building. It stood vacant and deteriorating for 14 years.

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Merrill City Hall, 1995

Merrill, Wisconsin. City Hall after rehabilitation. View the property record: AHI 21761

To publicize the City Hall's plight, the Wisconsin Trust for Historic Preservation listed it as one of the 10 most endangered buildings in the state. In 1991, in a last minute rescue from the wrecking ball, the Alexander Company, a Wisconsin-based development firm, stepped in with a proposal to convert the building to apartments.

Just over a year later, the firm opened the building to its new tenants, having created 17 very unique apartments. The developer had saved historic elements on the interior that remained, incorporating ornate trim and even an old jail door into the units. The unsightly vestibule additions were removed and the arched transoms and double doors were restored. Siding was removed from the top of the tower and a new clock was installed in its rightful place.

City Hall was once again "a gift to the street," its tower marking the west side of Merrill's downtown, while the tower of the Lincoln County Courthouse marks the east. Together they are important landmarks that create a special sense of place in Merrill.

Read more about the history of Merill's City Hall Building in the historic property record on our website.