Harrington’s
Old City Hall
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| Original City Hall Building, image courtesy of City of Harrington |
The
old City Hall was completed in 1904 by the Burrill & Sisum Company for the
price of $9000. The site for the
building was chosen because it was on the edge of the business district of
Harrington. The two story building was
constructed using buff-colored bricks with an edifice designed by Herman
Preusse, an architect from Spokane, Washington. The building included a bell tower, which was
replaced by an air raid siren during the Second World War The City Hall building would also house the
local jail, as well as the local fire station.
Harrington
had a local saloon which was open for several days a week. Prohibition, the rejection of alcohol, was
popular around most of the country during the 1920s. Harrington first voted on the issue of
prohibition in 1886. Twenty-two people
voted for prohibition, and thirty-two people voted against prohibition. Harrington had made the decision to keep
their alcohol, and their saloon.
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| Harrington Saloon, image courtesy of City of Harrington |
The
local jail records from this time period list the various people who were
arrested, as well as the recorded crime that they had committed. The most common charge listed was the charge
of drunkenness, followed by the charge of drunk and indecent. Frank Janney was arrested on September 28,
1923 for whiskey possession. Another man,
John Farrell, was arrested and charged with the charge of obscene language. The last recorded arrest was for Pete Moore,
on the charge of reckless driving on December 22, 1927.
The
functions of City Hall did not incorporate the entire building. The fire department, as well as the
Harrington Commercial Club called the building their home. The Harrington Commercial club was formed in
1937 as a way for the officials of Harrington to enquire and fix the needs of
the residents of Harrington. The club
soon evolved into helping people and livestock find housing when they came to
Harrington, as well as helping organize and host local events.
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| Modern image of the old City Hall building, with the air raid siren on top. Image courtesy of City of Harrington |
The
building housed the City Hall until the 1970s, when it was turned into a
pottery shop. It was then turned into a
residence house in 1977. The current
City Hall is located at 11 S 3rd Street, Harrington.
Sources used for this stop:
City of Harrington
Washington Information System for Architectural and Archaeological Records Data (WISAARD)
http://www.dexknows.com
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