At the corner of Penn Avenue South and Old Shakopee Road, the Old Town Hall is one of the few remaining pieces of architecture from Bloomington's 19th century and and one of the last old town halls in the metropolitan area. Built in 1892, the building was once the community's assembly place for public meetings, church services and social gatherings.
Home of Bloomington Historical Society
The Old Town Hall is home to the Bloomington Historical Society, which operates a history museum in the building featuring artifacts and exhibits of Bloomington's past.
During the early 2000s, a consensus formed that the Old Town Hall needed renovation. Although the building's underlying condition remained sound, its stuccoed exterior needed repair or replacement.
Decisions about how to proceed required that the City choose how to use the building in the long term. In the end, the decision was made to restore the Old Town Hall to its original appearance, to preserve Bloomington's past and present identity.
A major goal of the renovation was to ensure that standards for historical preservation were maintained. Many features of the building's exterior were replicated using old photographs of the building as a guide. The original cupola above the entrance, which had been removed many years ago, was recreated, as were the arched window frames with gingerbread trim. The red trim color used in the restoration matches the color found on pieces of the original trim.
The exterior restoration project also included replacing asphalt shingles with cedar shakes, replacing glass doors with wooden doors and replace the exterior stucco with historically accurate wood siding. A fire protection system was installed to help protect the building for years to come.
At the corner of Penn Avenue South and Old Shakopee Road, the Old Town Hall is one of the few remaining pieces of architecture from Bloomington's 19th century and and one of the last old town halls in the metropolitan area. Built in 1892, the building was once the community's assembly place for public meetings, church services and social gatherings.
Home of Bloomington Historical Society
The Old Town Hall is home to the Bloomington Historical Society, which operates a history museum in the building featuring artifacts and exhibits of Bloomington's past.
During the first half of this decade, a consensus formed that the Old Town Hall was in need of renovation. Although the building's underlying condition remained sound, its stuccoed exterior needed repair or replacement.
Decisions about how to proceed required that the City choose how to use the building in the long term. In the end, the decision was made to restore the Old Town Hall to its original appearance, to preserve Bloomington's past and present identity.
A major goal of the renovation was to ensure that standards for historical preservation were maintained. Many features of the building's exterior were replicated using old photographs of the building as a guide. The original cupola above the entrance, which had been removed many years ago, was recreated, as were the arched window frames with gingerbread trim. The red trim color used in the restoration matches the color found on pieces of the original trim.
The exterior restoration project also included replacing asphalt shingles with cedar shakes, replacing glass doors with wooden doors and replace the exterior stucco with historically accurate wood siding. A fire protection system was installed to help protect the building for years to come.
