The Pontiac City Hall and Fire Station is a historic building located at 110 W. Howard St. in

Pontiac Pontiac may refer to: *Pontiac (automobile), a car brand *Pontiac (Ottawa leader) ( – 1769), a Native American war chief Places and jurisdictions Canada * Pontiac, Quebec, a municipality **Apostolic Vicariate of Pontiac, now the Roman Catholic D ...

Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...

, which served as both Pontiac's city hall and fire station. The building was constructed in 1900 to replace an 1883 building which also served as both a city hall and a fire station. Architect John H. Barnes designed the building in the Romanesque Revival style. Though built as a single building, the city hall and fire station are separated on the interior; a

bell tower A bell tower is a tower that contains one or more bells, or that is designed to hold bells even if it has none. Such a tower commonly serves as part of a Christian church, and will contain church bells, but there are also many secular bell tower ...

connects the two buildings. The building housed both Pontiac's city government and fire protection services until 1986. The building was added to 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 v ...

on August 16, 1990.

Pontiac Museum Complex

The building is now home to several museums and themed exhibits, which are collectively known as the Pontiac Museum Complex.

Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame and Museum

The Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame and Museum features memorabilia related to

U.S. Route 66 U.S. Route 66 or U.S. Highway 66 (US 66 or Route 66) was one of the original highways in the United States Numbered Highway System. It was established on November 11, 1926, with road signs erected the following year. The h ...

, one of the original highways within the

U.S. Highway System The United States Numbered Highway System (often called U.S. Routes or U.S. Highways) is an integrated network of roads and highways numbered within a nationwide grid in the contiguous United States. As the designation and numbering of these hi ...

. Displays include photos, signs, license plates, and the VW van of Route 66 artist

Bob Waldmire Robert Waldmire (April 19, 1945 – December 16, 2009) was an American artist and cartographer who is well known for his artwork of U.S. Route 66, including whimsical maps of the ''Mother Road'' and its human and natural ecology. Being the son ...

Livingston County War Museum

The Livingston County War Museum features artifacts, films, books, uniforms and weapons from 20th and 21st century conflicts involving the United States.

Bod Waldmire Experience

The

Experience is located on the 2nd floor of the Pontiac Museum Complex. Displays include his art, photos and other artifacts that show the artistic and spiritual development of this Route 66 artist, preservationist, naturalist and icon.

Life in the 1940s Exhibit

This display features four rooms completely furnished with furniture and artifacts from the 1940s, including a bedroom, kitchen, toys and newspapers.

Music of the Civil War Exhibit

This exhibit focuses on 19th-century music from around the time of, during and after 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 th ...

. Displays include sheet music, antique musical instruments and recorded versions of these songs.

References

External links

Route 66 Association of Illinois Hall of Fame and Museum

International Walldog Mural and Sign Art Museum

Livingston County War Museum

Visit Pontiac, Illinois: Museums and Exhibits
City and town halls on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois Fire stations completed in 1883 Government buildings completed in 1883 Fire stations completed in 1900 Government buildings completed in 1900 Towers completed in 1900 Romanesque Revival architecture in Illinois Buildings and structures in Livingston County, Illinois Defunct fire stations in Illinois National Register of Historic Places in Livingston County, Illinois City and town halls in Illinois Fire stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Illinois {{LivingstonCountyIL-NRHP-stub