Jackson City Hall, located in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the capital of and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, along with Raymond. The city had a population of 153,701 at t ...

, is the seat of municipal government.

History

Originally constructed in 1846–47 at a cost of $8,000, the building was either enlarged or rebuilt in 1853-54 because of structural problems. During the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states ...

, the building was used as a hospital and was left standing by Federal troops despite heavy damage inflicted on other buildings throughout Jackson.National Register of Historic Places Inventory—Nomination Form (City Hall, Jackson, Mississippi)
Retrieved 2013-07-29. Speculation was that

General Sherman William Tecumseh Sherman ( ; February 8, 1820February 14, 1891) was an American soldier, businessman, educator, and author. He served as a general in the Union Army during the American Civil War (1861–1865), achieving recognition for his com ...

, a Freemason, spared the building because it housed a

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge, often termed a private lodge or constituent lodge, is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also commonly used as a term for a building in which such a unit meets. Every new lodge must be warranted or chartered ...

, though a more likely reason is that it housed an army hospital. The building underwent extensive renovation in 1963–64, which was undertaken by architect Frank P. Gates. In 1968, a statue of

Andrew Jackson Andrew Jackson (March 15, 1767 – June 8, 1845) was an American lawyer, planter, general, and statesman who served as the seventh president of the United States from 1829 to 1837. Before being elected to the presidency, he gained fame as ...

, made by Katherine Speed Ettl, wife of former Jackson mayor Leland Speed, was installed in front of the building. As of July 2020, the statue is slated for removal.

References

Antebellum architecture Mississippi Landmarks National Register of Historic Places in Jackson, Mississippi City and town halls on the National Register of Historic Places in Mississippi Greek Revival architecture in Mississippi {{mississippi-NRHP-stub