Louisville Metro
Hall is the oldest governmental building in
Jefferson County. Construction began in 1836, Envisioned by early Louisville civic
leader James Guthrie (1792 – 1869) to serve as the new Kentucky state
capital building, construction of the Greek Revival style structure
began in 1836 as designed by Gideon Shryock (1802-1880), noted architect
of the Old Statehouse in Frankfort and other buildings.
The financial panic of 1837 soon halted most work, with only the
first floor completed and occupied by 1842. Work did not finish until
1859-60 from designs by Isaiah Rogers (1800 – 1869) under the direction
of Albert Fink (1827-1897), known for his bridge and engineering
works for the L&N Railroad - hence the use of iron for the grand
staircase, as flooring over the rotunda on the second level and other
features.
From the early 1840’s until the completion of City Hall in 1873,
it housed both city and county governments. Brinton B. Davis
(1862-1952) oversaw an extensive remodeling effort after a fire caused
severe damage in 1905. Today, the interior rooms have much the
same appearance as they did in 1906 due to a renovation completed in
1981. In 1972, the structure was added to the National Register of
Historic Places.