City Hall and Fire Station

118 West Central Avenue

The City Council of Arkansas City voted April 9, 1917, to commission the building of a new City Hall. Major Charles Hunt championed the project. William T. Schmitt, an Oklahoma City architect, presented the design specifications in February 1918. Everhardt Construction Co., of Salina, completed the current City Hall building in 1919.

The new structure replaced the former City building on the same site.

It was built at a cost of $51,000 and opened in April 1919.

City Hall included a club room used by various community groups, including the Musical Club and Fortnightly Club.

Plans existed for a memorial hall and auditorium to be built further to the north, which would have mirrored the current building but facing Chestnut Avenue, but they never materialized.

The Arkansas City Police Department initially was located at the north end of the building, but eventually moved into the basement, where it resided for decades, complete with jail cells and a secure area for dispatchers.

In July 1996, the City Commission of Arkansas City voted to purchase a building at 117 W. Central Ave., directly across the street from City Hall to the south, as a new location for the police department.

It officially opened to the public on July 11, 1997. The basement then was remodeled to house various offices, computer equipment and servers, and an Emergency Operations Center.

The Arkansas City Fire Department also was located at the north end of the building. There are multiple west-facing garage bays along the rear of the structure where the fire engines were housed.

On the northeast corner of City Hall, an enormous tower still stands where ACFD at one time would hang its fire hoses to dry.

The City Commission purchased the former National Guard Armory building at 115 South D St. in July 1980. The Arkansas City Fire-EMS Department relocated there after completing renovations the following year. The north City Hall bays are now used for police storage.

Throughout its more than 100-year history, City Hall only has seen limited renovations, including two renovations to the city manager’s office in the past 20 years. A proposed sales tax vote for further building renovations and other City improvements failed in 2014.

In November 2015, the City Commission approved some additional renovations and repainting for the building. The City’s stated goal was to modernize the structure while keeping its historical integrity intact.

City Hall was built in the late 19th and 20th century Classical Revival style.

It is a monumental free-standing building with a classical temple front and stone Doric columns.

The brick building has a natural-faced stone foundation and Ashlar stone detailing.