St. Charles Municipal Building

St. Charles gained one of its most recognizable landmarks on September 1, 1940. The building, which cost $250,000, was built on the site of the old Fixture Factory that burned in 1929. It was yet another generous gift of the Baker and Norris families to the city.

The building, designed by architects R. Harold Zook and D. Coder Taylor, was designed to house administrative offices, city council chambers, and a museum for the growing community. While it does all this, the building is more important for its architectural style and the elements incorporated into the building. Created in the Art Moderne style, combining artistic expression with modern machine-age technology, the Municipal Building has smooth lines, flat surfaces, and little ornament. 

The building is constructed of a black granite base and white Georgian marble. Bands of deeply recessed windows pierce the lower two floors of the building. The architects incorporated fluorescent tube lighting throughout the interior. This technology was relatively new in the late 1930s.

Perhaps the most beautiful portion of the building is its eighty-four-foot-tall octagonal tower. Stained glass windows, pierced grillwork, and a diamond-shaped translucent top make the tower a scenic landmark. Originally, the tower had chimes that tolled every quarter hour. The original chimes remained in working order only until the end of World War II.

While the Municipal Building remains essentially unchanged, some changes have been made. In the early 1990s, the building had to be updated to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. A two-story structure connecting the Municipal Building with the old city building was constructed at that time. A mural documenting the history of St. Charles through the depiction of significant historical figures and structures was added in 1998.

Sources

■ Calby, Shirley. "Modern Municipal Building Celebrates 50th Anniversary." St. Charles Chronicle 31 Jan. 1990: Our Towns:8:1.

■ Christiansen, Karri. "Homage to Our Heritage." St. Charles Republican 9 July 1998: 3.

■ Costerisan, John. "A Sense of Style: Art Deco Tower Gives Scenic Outlook to River." Kane County  Chronicle 17 Nov. 1998: A:9.

■  Davis, Alice. Settlement and Growth of St. Charles. St. Charles: St. Charles Heritage Center,  1940.

■ Morency, Marc. "Meeting Half Way: City Building Link Aids Accessibility." St. Charles Republican 27 Jan. 1994: 3.

■ "One of Philanthropists' Many Gifts to City: The St. Charles Municipal Building." Historic Illinois, 3.