The City Of Charleston's City Hall
EVANS & SCHMIDT ARCHITECTS
Charleston City Hall was constructed in 1800 as a branch of the First Bank of the United States. In 1818 it became City Hall. This building is the second oldest City Hall in the country. The 8,000 square foot, three story masonry structure was extensively altered in 1839 and again in 1882. Repairs were made necessary by damage incurred both during the Civil War and the Earthquake of 1886. In 1995 a project was started to structurally address the aging building with seismic reinforcing, accessibility issues, and a complete upgrade for the plumbing, mechanical, electrical, and fire protection systems. Working with the historic structure in an extremely challenging site, Evans & Schmidt Architects met with all of the City Departments to determine the program requirements and how they would be addressed within the limitations of the building. Security, energy efficiency, communications, and public safety were paramount concerns. 2007 saw the return of this important symbolic building in a much improved condition to public service on the Four Corners of Law.
