Picture the Gothic Revival tower Elijah E. Myers designed for this former city hall. Completed in 1894 and serving as City Hall through the 1970s, this meticulous Gothic Revival building was designated a National Historic Landmark for its architecture. It occupies its own city block in downtown Richmond, bounded by 10th and 11th Streets to the west and east, and Capitol Street and East Broad Street to the south.
The composition is generally symmetrical, but the 195-foot clock tower on the left side of the principal façade gives an impression of purposeful asymmetry. The four main levels are executed in gray granite; its granite came from quarries along the James River near Petersburg and was shaped under the direction of subcontractor James Netherwood, while iron work was by Asa Snyder. Step inside and you would find a large skylit atrium surrounded by four levels of cloister-like arcades linked by a grand staircase—a civic heart that once housed city offices and courts.
The tower and granite facades frame the block bounded by 10th and 11th Streets and Capitol and East Broad Street before you.