Dutchess County Historical Society Yearbook Vol 051 1966

PRESERVATION OF THE POUGHKEEPSIE MUNICIPAL BUILDING Several years ago at an annual meeting of the Historical Society the proposed City Hall complex to be built under an Urban Renewal project in the vicinity of the Post Office plaza was discussed. It was pointed out that our present Municipal Building at the corner of Main Street and Little Washington Street would be abandoned. A resolution was passed and sent to the officials of the City of Poughkeepsie urging the preservation of the building and suggesting its conversion to a suitable museum.

Poughkeepsie has few old landmarks, and the Municipal Building, formerly the Village Hall, is the only public building standing that represents early Poughkeepsie, the Poughkeepsie Village.

Authorization for a "new market and village hall" occurred in 1831 at a village meeting, and on May 24 of that year the trustees voted the payment of $6,000 to Paraclete Potter and Gilbert Brewester for the site. On June 13th an additional piece of land was purchased of Benjamin Howland at a cost of $1,000 for the purpose of "Steighting the Market site" and giving sufficient room for the fish market.

On July 11, 1831 the Trustees ordered public notices published for proposals "for building a public market 90 feet long and thirty-six feet wide, two stories high to be built of brick in a good substantial manner, and the upper part to be finished for public rooms." John B. Forbus, James B. Frear and A. J. Coffin composed the committee for the village and in August 1831 they contracted with John G. Sturgis and William Carey who agreed to put up the building for $7,200. The building was completed before winter. This structure is of the simple Federal type of architecture with bell tower at the front of the peaked roof. Each window was equipped with wooden blinds and the front door was recessed back of a small one-storey portico. The lower floor was used until the Civil War years as a market, the second floor for town offices. By 1860 the first floor had been partitioned off for a Recorder's court room, an office for the Superintendent of the Poor and a meeting room for the members of volunteer fire fighters of Protection No. 1 Engine Company. In 1865 the partitions were removed and work of refitting the building was commenced.

Late in the year 1865 Albert Van Kleeck, postmaster, moved the office from the corner of Union and Market Streets where it had been since 1851, to a portion of the first floor. At that date the Council met in the area of the northwest corner of the second floor and it was not until 1869 Council Chambers were built in the rear portion of the second floor.

As far as can be determined the bell in the tower is the one installed when the building was built and was rung each 4th of July, tolled when Lincoln's funeral train reached Poughkeepsie, called the firemen for every fire for seventy-five years, and in the early years of 16