MEDIA’S NEW TOWN HALL

Through the courtesy of the Delaware County Ledger, we are enabled to present our readers with a picture of the handsome new town hall, the progress of the construction of which the ‘Medes have been watching with so much interest. We take from the Ledger the following history of the movement for a town hall, and description of the building:

Ever since Media started on her career as a prohibitory borough, away back in 1850, her Burgess and Council have found meeting places in stores and lawyers’ offices until four years ago, when a room was rented over a cigar store and in this place, today, the fathers of the borough gather and enact the municipal laws. For many years the want of a building has been felt that would afford proper accommodations for the Burgess and Council, with room to store the machinery and material of the borough, thus protecting then from the action of the elements and the caprice of pilfers, as well as to provide for locking up disorderly characters.

A SITE PURCHASED

An eligible site was purchased about ten years ago, but it took the town that length of time to make up its mind that another step should be taken, and finally when the question was put to the citizen tax payers nearly a year ago, a large majority signed in favor of procuring a loan of $15,000, secured by bonds.

Walter Smedley was selected as the architect and a contract was entered into with Isaac N. Flounders, of Media, for furnishing all materials and erecting the building, at a cost of $12,742.70.

The building will have a front of forty feet on State Street and seventy-five feet on Jackson, and both of these will be of pressed brick, laid in white mortar and relieved by carved sills of Indiana limestone. Starting at the base at the pavement, Leiper and Lewis stone will be the material laid, in coursed ashlars up to the water table, from the line of which the brick work will extend upward over the whole exterior.

A HANDSOME EXTERIOR

In the State Street front the three doorways disclose at once the character of the building, or at least the first floor of it. The central entrance leads to the stairways to the upper floors, while those at each side of it are for the use of the fire apparatus which will occupy all of the first floor except perhaps a small room at the northwest corner, which will be used as an office by the Burgess.

Looking upward we find the second story fronted with a rectangular window, at its center, divided into three, by stone pillars upon which rests a broad lintel, all of these and the sill, extending beyond the brick facing. This is the main opening in the Council chamber.

The Jackson Street front is equally imposing with that on State Street. A large Norman window near the corner and two smaller, of rectangular shape, give light to the fire house; and further north a double doorway leads to the office of the Burgess and to the stairs to the basement.

The tower at the corner is a feature that adds to the beauty of the building as well as to its usefulness; for while it is tastefully ornamented to please the eye, it ends above in a belfry, out of which will peal the call for help in case of fire.

The roof over the entire structure will be of blue slate and the cresting and finials of copper. The door and window frames are to be of white oak finished in their natural color and the glass in the first floor will be of polished plate.

On the second floor a large hall and three offices occupy the space in the rear of the Council chamber, while the third story contains a hall and lodge room.

A special thanks to the "great" Kate Clifford for all the work she does putting together this event newsletter for the DCHPN Newsletter.

DCHPN Monthly

E-Newsletter

Check out all these events happening this month.
Historic Sites are reopening!
Read the announcements below for important information.
 

August Events

Please check the websites for updated information before attending and be safe!

* Indicates a free event. Some events require pre-registration and close when full. The list includes events in the surrounding areas as well. If you have an event you would like on this list on future e-newsletters, please submit by the end of the month to dchpn_planning@yahoo.com.

Nature Time- Birds on the Farm

Aug 08, 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
Colonial PA Plantation, 3900 N Sandy Flash Dr, Newtown Square, PA 19073

Join CPP educator, Maury Hutelmyer for a general discussion about birds followed by hands on activities that will investigate bird beaks and their food preferences. Our farmers will be there for an up close visit with the fowl of the farm. $6/10

Sunday, August 8, 2021

Media's new Town Hall in 1892 and upcoming history events this month!!

The Media Boro Hall was also built as the boro firehouse. The boro hall stood on the northeast corner of Jackson and State St. It was torn down about 1970. The above picture is from about 1950,

MEDIA’S NEW TOWN HALL

Announcements

Open Houses

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