Municipal Archives

​Municipal Building Contracts, 1913-1914

​Collection 1997-020

Over​view​

Repository
Office of the City Secretary
Dallas Municipal Archives
1500 Marilla Street, 5D South
Dallas, Texas 75201​
CreatorCity of Dallas
TitleMunicipal Building Contracts
Dates1913-1914
Quantity5 linear inches
AbstractMunicipal building contracts for building a City Hall at 2014 Main Street.
Identification1997-020
Language Records are in English
​

Scope and Content

Collection documents the design and construction of the City of Dallas 1914 city hall, called the Municipal Building.  In May 1910, Dallas officials determined that the City Hall, then situated on the northwest corner of Commerce and Akard​ Streets, had become too small to serve adequately the city's population of over 90,000.  They sold the property to Adolphus Busch, who built the Adolphus Hotel at that site.  A number of locations were considered for the new municipal facility before C. C. Slaughter suggested this site, which the city purchased in the fall of 1911.  Voters approved a bond issue in an April 1912 election, and construction began in May 1913.  The completed building opened on Oct. 17, 1914, to coincide with the start of the State Fair. 

C. D. Hill and Co. of Dallas designed the five-story Beaux-Arts City Hall, constructed of Texas gray granite. Ornate Corinthian columns line the Classical facade.  The interior of the structure, originally finished with marble floors and mahogany woodwork, has been remodeled periodically to provide additional office space.  In 1956, the adjacent municipal building was erected to serve the growing city. ​ In the basement of this structure on November 24, 1963, Jack Ruby fatally shot Lee Harvey Oswald, alleged assassin of President John F. Kennedy.

The collection contains contracts for all aspects of the design and construction of the Municipal Building. 

Organization

The collection is arranged chronologically.

Access​

Permission to publish, reproduce, distribute, or use by any and all other current or future developed methods or procedures must be obtained in writing from the Dallas Municipal Archives. All rights are reserved and retained regardless of current or future development or laws that may apply to fair use standards.

Citation

Municipal Building Contracts, 1913-1914 (Box <x>, Folder <y>), Dallas Municipal Archives

Related Material

Collection 1991-048—Resolution - Contract - Fred A. Jones Building Company - Municipal Building, 1913

Index Terms

Dallas -- Texas -- History  
​Historic buildings -- Texas -- Dallas -- Conservation and restoration
Dallas (Tex.) -- Buildings, structures, etc. 

Container List

Box Folder
 Title, Date
11C. D. Hill and Company Architects, contract for architecture plans, January 22, 1913
 2The Fred A. Jones Building Company, contract for building contractor, March 12, 1913
Report on two alternate bids to be added to contract, February 7, 1913
 3Noelke-Richards Iron Works, contract for structural iron, August 4, 1913
 4W. M. Clower Electric Company, contract for electrical wiring, October 10, 1913
 5Kinnison Brothers Heating and Ventilating, contract for heating and ventilating plant, October 10, 1913
 6H. T. Kilpatrick, contract for plumbing and drainage, October 17, 1913
 7Otis Elevator Company, contract for elevators and electric sidewalk lifts, November 7, 1913
 8Oscar Daniels Company, contract for steel & iron construction, November 24, 1913
 9R. Russell Stapler, contract for superintendent of construction, November 26, 1913
 10Mayfield Lumber Company, contract for lumber, December 12, 1913
 11Mosler Safe Company, contract for vault doors, December 12, 1913
 12Jones Lumber Company, contract for lumber, December 15, 1913
 13Bonner Marshall Brick Company, contract for face brick, December 29, 1913
 14Bloomington Cut Stone Company, contract for cut stone, January 7, 1914
Dallas Builders Supply Company, contract for Spencer Turbine Vacuum Cleaner, January 5, 1914
 15Ogburn Gravel Company, contract for brick sand, January 7, 1914
 16Dallas Press Brick Company, contract for common brick, January 7, 1914
 17Imperial Water Proof Company, Ltd, contract for waterproof materials, January 14, 1914
 18Collinsville Manufacturing Company, contract for sheet metal, tile roofing, and metal windows, January 23, 1914
 19Uhrich Planing Mill Company, contract for mill work, January 21, 1914
 20A. L. Gooch, contract for granite, February 9, 1914
W. P. Crosman, contract for concrete sand, January 28, 1914
 21Spuck Iron and Foundry Company, contract for ornamental iron and steel work, February 11, 1914
 22S. F. Bowser and Company, contract for gasoline tank, February 18, 1914
 23D. C. Collawn, contract for plastering, February 20, 1914
 24New York Architectural Terra Cotta Company, contract for terra cotta, February 23, 1914
 25The Texas Glass and Paint Company, contract for glass, March 9, 1914
 26P. M. Bruner Granitoid Company, contract for sidewalk lights, March 16, 1914
 27Vermont Marble Company, contract for furnishing and performing all marble work, March 30, 1914
 28Otto Bowman, contract for painting, April 20, 1914
 29Moroney Hardware Company, contract for hardware, May 20, 1914
 30J. Desco and Son, contract for tile floor and base, June 1, 1914
 31Dallas Roofing Company, contract for roofing, July 1, 1914
Bloomington Cut Stone Company, contract for cut stone, June 10, 1914
 32Uhrich Planing Mill Company, contract for counters, July 13, 1914
 33Egan Fixture Company, contract for electrical fixtures and fans, July 22, 1914
 34Art Metal Construction Company, contract for metal vault filing devices, July 24, 1914
 35C. A. Bryant Company, contract for auditorium seats, July 24, 1914