Property Record
717 E 2ND ST
Architecture and History Inventory
| Historic Name: | Merrill City Hall |
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| Other Name: | Old City Hall Apartments |
| Contributing: | |
| Reference Number: | 21761 |
| Location (Address): | 717 E 2ND ST |
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| County: | Lincoln |
| City: | Merrill |
| Township/Village: | |
| Unincorporated Community: | |
| Town: | |
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| Year Built: | 1888 |
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| Additions: | |
| Survey Date: | 1991 |
| Historic Use: | apartment/condominium |
| Architectural Style: | Romanesque Revival |
| Structural System: | |
| Wall Material: | Brick |
| Architect: | T D ALLEN (OF OSHKOSH) |
| Other Buildings On Site: | |
| Demolished?: | No |
| Demolished Date: |
| National/State Register Listing Name: | Merrill City Hall |
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| National Register Listing Date: | 7/12/1978 |
| State Register Listing Date: | 1/1/1989 |
| National Register Multiple Property Name: |
| Additional Information: | A 'site file' exists for this property. It contains additional information such as correspondence, newspaper clippings, or historical information. It is a public record and may be viewed in person at the Wisconsin Historical Society, State Historic Preservation Office. ROUND, POLYGONAL AND SQUARE CNR TOWERS W/ CONICAL AND PYRAMIDAL ROOFS 4 STORY POLYGONAL CNR TOWER W/ OGEE ARCHED BELFRY WINDOWS ROUGH CUT STONE LINTEL, SILL AND BELTCOURSES HIGH BRICK FOUNDATION LARGE ROUND ARCH ENTRANCES W/ FANLIGHT TRANSOMS BRICK CORBELING. For this city on Wisconsin’s logging frontier, T. D. Allen of Oshkosh created a colorful city hall; he also drew the plans for the city hall in Columbus. The cream brick foundation, red brick walls, and quarry-faced stone lintels create a polychromy that is characteristic of Queen Anne design, as are the round turrets, projecting pavilions, bay windows, and horseshoe arches. An octagonal clock tower soars above the roofline; the clock face was recently installed. Over the arched doorway and between the five-story clock tower and a two-story turret, the iron balcony with a recessed porch provided a podium for speeches and announcements by city officials. In addition to the usual city services, the building housed the public library, one of the first three established in northern Wisconsin. It was also used for community service and organizations, including English language classes for immigrant loggers and their families. |
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| Bibliographic References: | Buildings of Wisconsin manuscript. |
| Wisconsin Architecture and History Inventory, State Historic Preservation Office, Wisconsin Historical Society, Madison, Wisconsin |