Salt Lake City And County Building

The Salt Lake City and County Building is considered as the seat of government for Salt Lake City in Utah. It is also usually called the City-County Building, as it formerly also housed the Salt Lake County government offices as well. It is now considered as one of the city’s famous historic landmarks.

Salt Lake City And County Building History

The construction of the Salt Lake City and County Building was constructed originally by the free masons between 1891 and 1894. It was aimed to relocate the offices from the Salt Lake City Council Hall and the Salt Lake County Courthouse which was both erected in the 1860’s.

The construction of the building was filled with political controversy. It went through a period of turmoil that led it to be delayed for a certain time and be rebuilt on another nearby location. The building was designed by the architectural firm Monheim, Bird and Proudfoot. The City-County Building was considered to be the firm’s only architectural product during its existence.

The construction of the building was also considered to have grossly gone over budget. Cost of construction of the building was estimated to be around $ 350,000. But by the time it was dedicated in December of 1894, the construction costs had risen to an incredible $ 900,000. The building was also a victim of the damage caused by the Panic of 1893. The drastic loss in Salt Lake City and County revenues led to having certain design plans for the building discarded such as plans to installing large stained glass windows.

Salt Lake City And County Building Features

The City-County Building is designed after the Richardsonian Romanesque architectural style. Its main feature is a central clock tower that is topped by a statue of Columbia that stands at a height of 256 feet or 78 meters from the ground. The building’s primary axis runs north to south, with its large entrances marking each of the cardinal direction.

The building surface is filled with intricately carved Utah Kyune sandstone. There are also intricate carvings and statues surrounding the building, with the others removed after the building was damaged by a 1934 earthquake. The building stands five floors high and has over a hundred rooms.
Architecture Design – GuideTo.Com

Tags: , , , ,

Recent Comments

    Categories