The former Wadena Fire and City Hall is a historic government building in
Wadena, Minnesota, United States, built in 1912. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places in 1989 for having local significance in the theme of politics/government.
It was nominated for being a representative example of early-20th-century civic development and of the municipal buildings common to many small Minnesotan cities.
The building now houses a
chiropractic clinic.
Description
The old Wadena Fire and City Hall is a rectangular, two-story building of red brick with concrete details. The center of the ground floor façade is dominated by a large, semicircular arch with a raised concrete keystone. This is flanked by symmetrical doors with
corbel
In architecture, a corbel is a structural piece of stone, wood or metal jutting from a wall to carry a superincumbent weight, a type of bracket. A corbel is a solid piece of material in the wall, whereas a console is a piece applied to the s ...
ed concrete
lintel
A lintel or lintol is a type of beam (a horizontal structural element) that spans openings such as portals, doors, windows and fireplaces. It can be a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. In the case of w ...
s topped by smaller arched windows. The second floor is topped by a
dentillated false
cornice
In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...
, a decorative panel of bricks in a
herringbone pattern, and a crenelated
parapet. Many of these decorations derive from
Renaissance Revival architecture. The southwest corner of the building has an open
belfry with a pyramidal roof and a concrete
frieze embellished with
festoons.
History
Wadena's first combination city hall and fire station was built in 1885. Within a quarter of a century the facility was inadequate for both purposes, and city officials began planning a replacement in late 1911.
Minneapolis architect Kirby T. Snyder drafted a compact design for a new multipurpose hall. Construction began on a new lot the following summer and was completed in early January 1913. The period of 1910 to 1915 saw a major construction boom in Wadena, with new public, commercial, and residential buildings appearing, plus two large new churches.
See also
*
List of city and town halls in the United States
*
List of fire stations
This is a list of notable current and former fire stations, which are also called "fire houses", "fire halls", "engine houses", "hook and ladder companies" and other terms. It includes combination buildings, such as city halls or other government ...
*
National Register of Historic Places listings in Wadena County, Minnesota
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wadena Fire And City Hall
1912 establishments in Minnesota
Buildings and structures in Wadena County, Minnesota
City and town halls in Minnesota
Defunct fire stations in Minnesota
Fire stations on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
Former seats of local government
Government buildings completed in 1913
City and town halls on the National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota
Renaissance Revival architecture in Minnesota
National Register of Historic Places in Wadena County, Minnesota