Bethalto Village Hall/ Old Village Hall

Built in 1873. Added to NRHP December 2, 1987.

The architectural and locational characteristics of the Bethalto Village Hall are representative of American town and city halls during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Traditionally city, village, and town halls in the United States included both an assembly room and space for record keeping and administrative use.

The Bethalto Village Hall is located at the northeast corner of Oak and Main Streets in Bethalto, Illinois. This two-story rectangular brick building with an L-shaped one story concrete addition stands two short city blocks south of the former business district on Central Street and one block north of the former railroad line (the tracks were removed in the 1960s), now Erwin Plegge Boulevard. The building stands approximately ten feet from the street edge to the south and west, and it faces directly onto a rear alley and parking lot to the north and east. A small grass yard to the east is a remnant of the open lot which existed next to the building before the additions were built.

Originally constructed in 1873 on lots 23 and 24 in the Joel U. Starkey Addition, the Bethalto Village Hall originally measured approximately 20’ by 40’. In 1885 a 12’ extension was built to the north of the original structure. This extension is identical to the original building in terms of its height, configuration, brickwork, cornice and roofline finishes, and window and door designs. In 1938 a separate one story, one bay wide, concrete fire station was constructed to the north of the building. In 1944 an identical second bay for the fire station was built to the south, thereby filling the gap between the earlier station and the hall. The final addition to the Bethalto Village Hall was built in 1952. The one story concrete block extension to the east and south of the fire station envelopes 30’ of the east wall of the two story village hall Although the village hall has had several additions, the exterior fabric of the brick building has had very few alterations. A concrete handicap entrance with a raised platform and ramp has been constructed on the west side of the building, and the original roofing material has been replaced with asphalt shingles. Also, the original stone front step has been removed and replaced with two concrete steps. (The stone step now functions as a bench to the side of the front door.) The 20^th century additions have only covered up portions of the first story walls of the brick building, and there is no interior connection between the two sections.

The interior plan of the village hall is very simple. The first floor is divided into three basic sections: a front room, or former office spaces; a middle space composed of a lateral corridor with access to a closet, jail, and bathroom; and a rear hall with a staircase to the second floor. It is not clear whether the building originally had three jail cells, or just the one in the center which is still intact. Where the closet and bathroom are now, there may have once been two other cells. The second floor has the same arrangement with a front meeting room, a kitchen to its rear, and a stairway to the first floor at the rear of the building. There is no full basement or attic space.

The interior finishes of the building have been altered, in the most of that most of the original interior walls and ceilings have been covered with modern paneling and dropped ceilings. Also, the original wood floor on the first floor has been removed and a poured concrete floor installed. The first floor front room has a decorative pressed metal ceiling beneath the acoustic tile dropped ceiling, and the rooms to the rear have tongue and groove paneled ceilings. The original 2”x6” walls of the jail cell are intact, as is the metal grille door. The bathroom is finished in modern materials and fixtures. The rear hall has been drywalled and carpeting installed on the rear staircase. On the second floor all the original walls and ceilings have also been covered over with modern paneling. At the south end of the room is a low dais, approximately 7’ deep. The rehabilitation of the interior spaces to uncover the original fabric of the building is possible.

The Bethalto Village Hall has undergone many changes since it’s initial construction, however, the fabric of the original building is essentially intact. Although the additions to the rear of the building are less than fifty years old, they are unobtrusive. The most serious loss of integrity is the visual impact of the 1952 addition which wraps around the side of the village hall.

The architectural and locational characteristics of the Bethalto Village Hall are representative of American town and city halls during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Traditionally city, village, and town halls in the United States included both an assembly room and space for record keeping and administrative use. Often times, the building was two or more stories high to accommodate the two separate functions within the building. Small communities, such as Bethalto, had no need for a more complex building. Indeed, Bethalto Town Board discussions in 1872 regarding a publicly-owned building had first been about a jail. The idea of a village hall was not considered until a year later following a public request for a larger building. The Italianate style of the Bethalto Village Hall is representative of the style popular in the United States between 1850 and 1875. It is apparent that the appropriate location for a jail and a village hall were perceived if as quite different at the time. The jail was to be located on a lot several blocks away from the commercial center of the community. While the village hall was prominently situated on a street running parallel to the railroad, and one block away from the main commercial street.

The village hall accommodated both political and social functions in the community. Village Board of Trustees meetings were regularly held in the hall The first floor jail cell was the responsibility of the Constable. City laws and records were enacted and maintained there. By 1885 additional village officials were appointed, and a Village Attorney, Police Magistrate and Justice of the Peace also used the village hall as their offices. Village administration included the Fire Department, sewerage, police force, elections, tax collection, and licensing. School groups, lodges, and other social organization rented the second floor meeting room on a regular basis. Beginning in July 1884 village board meeting minutes refer to negotiations with the Masons, Odd Fellows, and Druids about an addition to the Village Hall. Although the specifics of the negotiations are not known, it is likely that the fraternal organizations using the second floor wanted an interior entrance for the second floor at the rear of the building. It may be that the original entrance was an exterior stairway. Negotiations were completed and by January 1885 a 12 foot extension to the rear of the building which provided a separate interior hallway and stair to the second floor was under construction. The Village Hall accommodated the Bethalto Lodge No. 406, A.F. and A.M., the Bethalto Chapter No. 847 of the Order of the Eastern Star, the United Ancient Order of Druids, Teutonia Grove, No. 25, and the Order of the Odd Fellows at various times during its history. The building continued to accommodate the political administration until the end of its use.

(The Old Village Hall in Bethalto was completed in 1873 and was constructed from “soft red brick” whttp://hpa.illinois.gov/PDFs/200926.pdfith white framed arched windows and doors in the Italianate style that was popular in the United States between 1850 and 1875. The Village hall was the first publicly owned hall for the community, and it served as the focal point of all political functions in the community until 1963.)

• Interesting Fact: The Bethalto Historical Museum is now housed in the former Village Hall. Exhibits include the city’s tiny one-room jail and displays about local history, including a recreated classroom.

Researched and Written by Madelyn Knight

Uploaded on behalf of the Madison County Historical Society by Kiley Fuchs

Phil Schneider, "Bethalto’s Original Village Hall," Madison Historical: The Online Encyclopedia and Digital Archive for Madison County, Illinois, last modified February 22, 2019,https://madison-historical.siue.edu/encyclopedia/bethaltos-original-village-hall/