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City Hall

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1. When was the current City Hall building first constructed?

In February of 1916, Mayor W.H. McFadden called for a $20,000 bond election for the purpose of building a convention hall in Ponca City. An additional $25,000 bond issue passed in December of 1916. Layton and Smith (who were the architects for the State Capitol Building) were the architects for the project. O.F. Keck of Ponca City was the contractor. The contract was let for $38,000. The “Civic Center Auditorium” (the center building of City Hall) opened on November 14, 1917 with the touring Broadway musical play “Experience.”

2. What was the first name of City Hall?

City Hall was originally referred to as the Civic Center or Civic Center Complex. The first order of business for Mayor P.B. Lowrance and Commissioners Wiker and Hall in 1922 was to plan the east and west wings of the auditorium. Layton, Smith, and Forsythe prepared the plans for the additional wings in October of 1922. A bond issue of $75,000 was passed in November of 1922 for the construction of the east and west wings of the Civic Center Complex. The Holmboc Company of Oklahoma City was awarded the contract for $135,000. This project was completed in 1924. The first meeting of the Board of Commissioners was held in the Civic Center Complex on March 20, 1924, now referred to as “City Hall.”

3. When was the City Hall renovation completed?

The citizens of Ponca City celebrated the newly restored City Hall on Thursday, September 18, 2003. The grand event included Forrest Mertz turning on the beautiful lighted water fountain he restored and ended with a rooftop fireworks display.