Pineville to breathe new life into one-of-a-kind Old Town Hall Museum

Melinda Martinez, Alexandria Town Talk
·4 min read

A visit to the Old Town Hall Museum in Pineville is like stepping into a time capsule of the city's history.

This two-story building, at Main and Shamrock streets, was built in 1931 to serve multiple purposes, said local historian Paul Price. It once housed the city hall, fire department, library, utility office, police station, judge’s chambers, courthouse and city jail. It is still owned by the City of Pineville.

“The assignment for the architect was to include all those things I just mentioned. This is such a tiny footprint, but he got it all in,” Price said.

It is the last municipal building of its kind in architecture and design in the state and the only museum dedicated to municipal government, said local historian Mike Wynne.

The first mayor to occupy it was Rollo C. Lawrence, according to a placard on the wall. A small room toward the building's rear was the mayor's office from 1931 to 1952, before it was moved to a larger office on the second floor. Befor the town hall was built, mayors conducted town business from their homes. Fire trucks were housed with volunteer firemen and police officers had to furnish their own cars and weapons.

The Old Town Hall building in Pineville, at Main and Shamrock streets, was built in 1931.
The Old Town Hall building in Pineville, at Main and Shamrock streets, was built in 1931.

The building was restored to its original 1935 appearance and dedicated as a museum on Oct. 22, 1994. The museum closed over 15 years ago, but the inside has remained relatively untouched.

Now, the city and the Pineville Downtown Development District hope to restore and reopen the museum. District Executive Director Doug Gann said the building will ensure the city's history is a part of broader efforts to make downtown more inviting to visitors.

Louisiana Lt. Gov. Billy Nungesser, who toured the building Nov. 22, said the restoration comes at a good time as his office creates a museum trail across the state.

The first mayor to occupy the Pineville Town Hall building was Mayor Rollo C. Lawrence. This small room served as the mayor's office from 1931-1952 before it was moved to a larger room on the second floor.
The first mayor to occupy the Pineville Town Hall building was Mayor Rollo C. Lawrence. This small room served as the mayor's office from 1931-1952 before it was moved to a larger room on the second floor.

What's inside?

Some of the historical artifacts found around the museum include yellowed newspaper clippings, photos, donated books and records from the 1940s for the Pineville Garden Club. There is an old flip-style utility directory with the names and addresses of Pineville residents.

A 7-by-7-foot vault on the first floor was used to store money and other important documents when it was City Hall. It was opened for the first time in 23 years during a public event in 1997, but there wasn’t anything inside. The vault remained open for a month so people could drop by to store historical documents related to Pineville.

A room on the second floor of the Old Town Hall Museum once served as the library when it was the Town Hall of Pineville. When it was turned into a museum in 1994, it housed displays of Pineville history.
A room on the second floor of the Old Town Hall Museum once served as the library when it was the Town Hall of Pineville. When it was turned into a museum in 1994, it housed displays of Pineville history.

The old mayor’s office from 1931 to 1953 contains a rotary phone from that time. The phone number: 1051.

The garage houses a 1930s Ford car and a 1950s fire truck that was first new one purchased by the city. On the wall are pictures of the firemen's uniforms, which a placard notes were “affectionately named ‘The Fireman’s Grays.’ ”

Price pointed out the blend of light and dark brick on the building’s exterior, inspired by the art deco movement.

The jail cells in the Old Town Hall Museum of Pineville, built in 1931, were modeled after the ones at Angola State Penitentiary.
The jail cells in the Old Town Hall Museum of Pineville, built in 1931, were modeled after the ones at Angola State Penitentiary.

The building’s balcony and cathedral-like doors have been described as representing the Spanish influence in the city's founding.

On the second floor, a mannequin sits on a chair in the courtroom, where pictures of Pineville mayors line the walls. The jail cells are in another room adjacent to the courtroom.

“If you got sentenced, you go right back to jail,” said Gann as he gave a tour of the courtroom and cells.

Another mannequin sits on a bed in one of the cells. Price said the cells were modeled after the ones at the Angola State Penitentiary when they were built in 1931. Now, the cells are the only ones of their kind in the state.

The building was used by the city for 43 three years until the new municipal offices were opened two blocks away.

With some decorations and reconstruction, Wynne said, the Old Town Hall Museum can be restored.

On the wall of the Old Town Hall Museum of Pineville are historical pictures of firemen whose unifiorms a placard notes were “affectionately named ‘The Fireman’s Grays.’ ” A fireman’s hat from 1969 belonging to Lee Deville is also in the display case, and a gray uniform hangs on a wall.
On the wall of the Old Town Hall Museum of Pineville are historical pictures of firemen whose unifiorms a placard notes were “affectionately named ‘The Fireman’s Grays.’ ” A fireman’s hat from 1969 belonging to Lee Deville is also in the display case, and a gray uniform hangs on a wall.

It’s the only known city hall in the state that’s become a museum, he said.

“There’s nothing like this anywhere," Wynne said. “Even I didn’t realize how much of a treasure on the outside and inside."

This article originally appeared on Alexandria Town Talk: Pineville to reopen Old Town Hall Museum and its wealth of city history