Document Actions
Old City Hall
Old City Hall
First Town Hall, 1829
First Town Hall c.1829 Old City Hall c.1890
Old City Hall c.2005
Building History
Lowell’s earliest example of the adaptive reuse of a building is Old City Hall. The building has been remodeled three times since its construction in 1829-1830 as the seat of government for the Town of Lowell. Even though these remodelings have resulted in extensive changes, the original, free-standing, gabled-roof form survives, giving it a distinctive presence in the streetscape.
The original plans were drawn by a young architect, Isaiah Rogers, who was already renowned for his design of Boston’s Tremont House. Rogers was one of the nation’s most adept interpreters of the austere elegance of the Greek Revival style. Rogers’ plan for the building was traditional with most typical eighteenth and nineteenth century American town halls: a large public meeting room was located on the upper floor above ground floor retail shops. The large hall’s use for town meeting became a thing of the past in 1836 when Lowell became a city. However, the hall continued to be used for public meetings. A little-known freshman Congressman from Illinois, Abraham Lincoln, spoke here in 1848.
The building was first remodeled in 1854 when the old upper floor hall was subdivided into two floors to provide for more city functions. The City Library was located here for many years as well. In 1893, City government moved up Merrimack Street to the current City Hall and the Old City Hall was sold at auction to a private developer, who, in 1896, proceeded to thoroughly remodel it in the then-popular Colonial Revival style.
Preservation and Reuse
Although storefronts were periodically updated through the 1950s, the 1896 remodeling was essentially retained and became the basis for the building’s exterior restoration in 1987. The building was acquired by the National Park Service and leased to a private developer who carried out the exterior and interior work. Today the building houses a variety of public and private tenants and the exterior has been restored to its 1896 appearance including replacement of the missing roof-edge balustrade.