by Nick Castele
Cleveland officials are marking City Hall’s 100th birthday.
On July 4, 1916, throngs people toured the new city hall in downtown Cleveland. According to the Plain Dealer at the time, they shook hands with Mayor Harry Davis, and took in a view of the grand council chambers from the throne-like seat of the council president. An orchestra and singers entertained the crowd.
At a ceremony at city hall 100 years later, Cleveland’s mayor and council president tried to draw a connection between the past and present.
A century ago, city leaders oversaw the construction of major civic buildings, council president Kevin Kelley said. This year, he said, they’re celebrating the redo of Public Square.
City Hall, public auditorium, the old county courthouse and other buildings were part of the multimillion-dollar vision for the city drawn up a century ago called the Group Plan. Marks of that design can still be seen today in building that houses the seat of city government.
