1939 City Hall

After the Citizens Committee condemned the 1843 City Hall in 1926, calls arose for a new City Hall, a cause championed by Mayor MacMaster, who died before it was realized. After several sites were proposed, officials chose the former site of Holy Name Society, formerly the Charles Chase homestead, and Nashua Theater properties. Built with WPA funds, the three story Colonial Revival building was designed by Wells, Hudson, and Granger of Hanover, the same firm that designed the high school, now Elm Street School. The 1939 City Hall and Police Station cost approximately $300,000 and includes Ionic columns, brick, and a rusticated stone foundation, with a bell tower, cupola, and eagle replicated from the old City Hall. Dedicated on November 20, 1939, it was opened when MacMaster's wife cut the ribbon. Its main lobby is of Italian marble and colored tile, with an Aldermanic chamber and small Assembly room, and it originally housed various city offices and laboratories for the Board of Health. The Police Station wing included a photography room and jail cells, along with a garage and a small room for a gymnasium. Outside stands a bust marking the first place in New Hampshire where John F. Kennedy spoke after announcing his candidacy for President in 1960. A rear wing and other renovations were completed in the 1980s.

Nashua, New Hampshire · United States