Columbus City Hall (1872–1921)

City Hall one day after the fire

Plaque at the Ohio Theatre commemorating the building

City Hall was demolished in a fire that began about 8 p.m. on January 12, 1921.[1] At the time, about 100 people were attending a basketball practice inside, and others were attending a meeting of City Council at the same time. There were no injuries during the incident. James Thurber, later known for his cartoons, was covering the City Council meeting as a Columbus Dispatch reporter.[6] Sixteen engine companies and six truck companies arrived to fight the fire, setting numerous hoses onto the fire by 8:30 p.m. from multiple areas, including from atop the roof of the Grand Theater building.[1]

Crowds witnessed the building fire, held back into the sloping Statehouse grounds.[7] The crowds reportedly had few regrets or tears, and a general attitude of "good riddance" to its destruction among the public and city officials.[8] Exterior walls remained standing, though seemingly about to topple. The entire roof burned away, and the second and third floor interiors were turned into a large pile of debris.[1]

Property loss was estimated at about $75,000; like all city buildings at the time, it was not insured. It was the third public structure to burn in recent months, after the city prison and a more minor fire at the Columbus State Hospital.[1] Records lost in the building's fire reportedly included those on the Franklin Park Conservatory, making much of its early history unknown.[9] News from four days after the fire claimed all valuable documents and records were saved, though the Children's Playhouse Project was affected. About 5,000 costumes were lost, as well as four sets of scenery and several pageant lights. This combined loss was estimated at $6,300. In addition, thousands of city codes were lost, as well as all bound copies of city bulletins and annual reports for all departments; all these documents were said to be replaceable.[10]

By the next day, city officials toured the burned building with the determination of making the site habitable within 30 days. Following their tour, they unanimously abandoned any proposals to rebuild City Hall on that site, with most council members indicating the new riverfront civic center as the most appropriate place to rebuild.[1] Though the origin of the fire was undetermined by this point, three theories existed: it could have been started from blowtorches left in the building's cupola by workers who were repairing the roof, one of which was found atop charred timber in the wreckage. Other ideas included defective wiring caused a spark, or that lit cigarette butts could have sparked the flames.[1]

Two days after the fire, Columbus's library trustees offered the second floor of the Main Library to the mayor and most city officials, which they promptly accepted.[11]

The fire allowed city leaders to rebuild City Hall with a better structure and in the new Civic Center site. Prominent citizens lauded the mayor, offering "congratulations on the successful fire". The site is now home to the Ohio Theatre.[6]

Reading room

The building's first floor had an open arcade with a variegated marble floor along its north and west sides. A central lobby included a large staircase to the second floor, while to its rear was another lobby with stairs at the sides, leading to all upper floors. To the rear of that was the merchants' exchange.[12]

At its opening, the west side of the first floor also held the city's post office, a space including a separate fireproof room. The left or east side housed the city's first public library, a glass-divided room which opened on March 4, 1873. The front section was a reading room, while the back was reserved for books and the librarian's desk.[13] The collection contained 1,500 books.[14] These included 1,200 from the Columbus Athenaeum (1853-1872),[15] 358 from Columbus's high school library, and 33 from its horticultural society.[16] In 1906, the reading room moved to a separate building across from the Ohio Statehouse,[14] and by 1907 to the Main Library, where it remains today.

On the second floor was another lobby with five rooms on either side, for city officials and committees.[12] To the rear was the council chamber, an elaborately decorated space with watercolor-frescoed walls.[17] The third floor held the public hall, a multipurpose room of 140 by 74 feet, with a height of 53 feet. It was estimated to seat 3,200 people, or give standing room to almost 6,400. A stage stood at the south end of the hall, while a gallery stood at the north end.[12]