Last week, we showed you the Butterfly Highway pit stop behind the Old City Hall in Uptown but… we never showed you Old City Hall itself! In 1924, the City of Charlotte outgrew their city hall located on the corner of Trade and 5th Street that had been build in 1891. As the city was growing and more public services began being offered, Charlotte needed a more robust space to house the different departments.

Construction of the Old City Hall, known then as Charlotte City Hall since it was brand spanking new, was completed in the fall of 1925 on the 600-block of East Trade Street. Other structures that were included in the newly redeveloped city block were the Fire Department, Police Department, and the Health and Welfare Department.

The building was designed by Charles C. Hook, the man behind the Gateway and Century Buildings and Charlotte Fire Station #6. (It turns out that anytime we like an old building, this fella had something to do with it.) He placed the administrative City Hall building in the middle of the land to allow for future expansion.

Turns out that wasn’t enough. As Charlotte continued to grow, more office space was required for our city government and its departments. In 1984, the construction of a new building to house city and county offices was approved by Mecklenburg County voters. Now, most departments are located in that “new” building, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Government Center.

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