- City:
- Fairfield, AL
- Site Type:
- Civic Facilities, City and Town Halls
- New Deal Agencies:
- Work Relief Programs, Works Progress Administration (WPA)
- Started:
- 1941
- Completed:
- 1945
- Designer:
- E.B. Van Keuren
Description
Characterized by its Art Deco architectural style, Fairfield City Hall still serves as the seat of city government. It was remodeled in the early 1990s, and the only interior touches of its Art Deco architectural style are the decorative arches over the doorways. This building received funding from both the city of Fairfield and the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Mayor Claude Gilley proposed the idea to the city council, and the city purchased the land in April 1941. The city of Fairfield secured WPA funding in June. E.B. Van Keuren served as the architect, and construction began July 1st. The project was to cost approximately $165,000. However, construction reached a standstill by the end of 1941 as thousands of WPA workers were laid off. The city of Fairfield struggled to secure workers and come up with excess funds to cover the gap left by the WPA workers. Fairfield City Hall officially opened in 1945.
Source notes
Birmingham Public Library. (2009). The New Deal in Jefferson County Alphabet Soup- Fairfield City Hall. Retrieved from https://www.bplonline.org/resources/exhibits/new_deal/fairfield/gallery/homestead/index.html Ennis, W. (1941, April 10). Fairfield’s Proposed Administration Building Will Include Long-Sought Community House. The Birmingham News. Ennis, W. (1941, June 8). Fairfield City Hall Grant Made. The Birmingham News. Ennis, W. (1941, June 18). City Hall-Auditorium for Fairfield. The Birmingham News. Ennis, W. (1941, August 28). City Hall-Community Hose At Fairfield Under Construction. The Birmingham News. Fairfield City Hall. (1941, December 31). The Birmingham News. Whiting, M. (1985). Fairfield. Past. Present. Future 1910-1985 in Celebration of the Seventv-Fifth Anniversary of Fairfield, Alabama. Fairfield, Alabama: The Seventy-Fifth Anniversary Celebration Committee.Site originally submitted by Laura Gentry on November 6, 2013.
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