Hundreds tour renovated City Hall during open house

Lois Starrette Poston recalled the many trips she made as a child, from her house on North Center Street to downtown Statesville, to spend a day in “the city” buying candy and window shopping.
“It was only a mile, but we were outside the city limits then,” said Poston, 83, during an Open House at the renovated City Hall building Sunday afternoon. “I’d go to Candyland, that was a store just down the street, and I come here to buy stamps. They were 3 cents then.”
Poston was one of about 500 people who attended the event and toured the building, which was built over the course of 1891 and early 1982 and first opened its doors as a post office and federal courthouse exactly 120 years ago next month.
Reprinted stories about the opening from the old Statesville Record were framed and hung in locations around the building.
In one article, the story is told of how the building’s very existence was something of a political hot-potato. The South was just emerging from a period of occupation during Reconstruction and virtually anything originating in Washington – especially something done by northern-based Republican Party – was viewed with suspicion, if not contempt.
But while the building was completed and opened during the tenure of William McKinley, “The Democrats,” the Record story reads in part, “will always remember that the erection (of the building) was authorized during the administration of the greatest living American, (Democrat) Grover Cleveland.”
While the building today is considered one of the city's most beautiful treasures, it is also a practical one.
“It’s a tremendously functional building,” said Mayor Costi Kutteh. “And now that it’s opening back up it will alleviate a lot office-space pressure.”
The city planning department, top officials with the fire department and City Manager Rob Hites are among those who will relocate to the building.
Hites called the building, “a gem that a lot of people in the city might not have known they had.” He added that he was “very proud” of the work that went into the renovation and restoration of it.
Former City Councilwoman Paula Steele has been given kudos by her former colleagues for serving as a liaison between the contractors and city staff and council. Steele has been on site on a regular basis even during the last two months since her tenure on the council ended.
From an historical perspective, the fruit of much of that work is owed to Historic Preservation Consultant Michelle Portman Walter, a partner with the Winston-Salem-based firm hired for the job: Walter Robbs Callahan & Pierce Architects.
Walter did not leave a rock unturned in her attempt at historical accuracy.
When told that the marble on the floor of the portico could not be matched after the removal of the entrance loge, Walter tracked down the site of the Georgia quarry that excavated the original tiles and matched the existing tiles perfectly.
“You can’t tell the difference,” said Matt Messick, the lead architect on the project. “It’s incredible.”
That adjective or one of its synonyms was one heard often during the three hours of the open house.
“I can’t even recognize the place,” said Neal Wooten, a retired electrical inspector with Iredell County who had an office in the City Hall building for part of his more than 20 years with the county. “It’s amazing what they’ve done here. It’s beautiful.”
Anecdotes about the building could be heard in all quarters of the open house.
Local historian Steve Hill told of a story he read regarding the first order of business by Federal Judge Richard Dick.
“He banned the spitting of tobacco spit onto the floor of the building,” Hill said. “Well, he tried to ban it but he wasn’t successful because in the first week the floors and stairwell were covered in it.”
Hill also said that one of the cases to come up on the first day of federal court involved lawsuits related to the infamous 1891 crash of a train off the Bostian Bridge in Statesville that killed several people.
The building was owned by the federal government until 1941 when it was sold to the city. Its main purpose since then has been the housing of the city council chambers, which received the lion’s share of renovation work during the 13 months the project has been underway.
“And we are fortunate our predecessors had the foresight to purchase the building,” Kutteh said. “It’s a real treasure to the city.”
The official ribbon-cutting and grand re-opening of the City Hall will take place tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers.