The Apex Town Hall, called Apex City Hall in the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...
is a historic
town hall at 237 N Salem Street in the
historic district of downtown
Apex
The apex is the highest point of something. The word may also refer to:
Arts and media Fictional entities
* Apex (comics), a teenaged super villainess in the Marvel Universe
* Ape-X, a super-intelligent ape in the Squadron Supreme universe
*Apex, ...
,
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. It was built in 1912 after the June 12, 1911, fire destroyed several downtown buildings including the previous home of the town hall, Poe Brother's Store.
The ground floor housed a farmer's market with fresh meat preserved by ice boxes, vegetables, chickens on the sidewalk out front, and two jail cells,
segregated by race. Upstairs had an auditorium, opera stage, dressing rooms and the mayor's office.
The building was heated by wood stoves and lighted by oil lamps.
The auditorium hosted silent movies,
Chautauqua
Chautauqua ( ) was an adult education and social movement in the United States, highly popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Chautauqua assemblies expanded and spread throughout rural America until the mid-1920s. The Chautauqua br ...
s, dramas, and other community cultural events.
The Apex Volunteer Fire Department was formed in 1927 and took its first residence the town hall, parking a fire engine in the left bay of the building, which parked there through 1957. The Fire Department built a separate building across the street in 1958.
Apex had a public works building attached to the back for a time, but it was removed to make parking spaces.
The
DMV had an office in the building for a time.
The Town Hall function moved from the building in 1978 to 205 Saunders St.
The building was condemned. The town refurbished it and it served as home to the Apex Parks and Recreation department through 2007.
Halle Cultural Arts Center
The Halle Cultural Arts Center has occupied the building since dedication January 10, 2008. It offers an art gallery downstairs and a performance hall upstairs, with the original flooring from the original auditorium.
Additions to the building include a glass-enclosed grand staircase and elevator on the south side and an extension on the back.
The renovations were recognized by the AIA-Triangle Merit Award
and the 2008 Anthemion Award from Capital Area Preservation.
See also
*
Apex Historic District
The Apex Historic District is the historic commercial and residential center of Apex, North Carolina, a satellite town of the state capital Raleigh. The district revolves around Salem Street, the main thoroughfare in downtown Apex. In 2007, CNNM ...
*
List of Registered Historic Places in North Carolina
This is a list of structures, sites, districts, and objects on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina:
As of , there are more than 2,900 properties and districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places in all 10 ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Apex Town Hall (Historic)
Apex, North Carolina
City and town halls in North Carolina
City and town halls on the National Register of Historic Places in North Carolina
Government buildings completed in 1912
Tourist attractions in Apex, North Carolina
Buildings and structures in Wake County, North Carolina
National Register of Historic Places in Wake County, North Carolina
1912 establishments in North Carolina