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St. Charles celebrates 75th birthday of city hall

When fire destroyed the St. Charles Fixture Co. in the early decades of the city, it paved the way for the construction of the municipal building residents now think of as city hall.

On Saturday, city officials and residents gathered to celebrate the building's 75th anniversary.

At the time of its construction, the land for the municipal building cost $37,000. The building itself would cost about $250,000. For a nation just coming out of the Great Depression, those may have been insurmountable costs if not for the financial help of the Norris and Baker families, which have their fingerprints all over the city.

Current St. Charles resident Mike Dixon added his own mark when he served as the main architect on the atrium annex that connected the 1940s portion of the municipal building with the original 1890s structure that served as the city's meeting place.

"The history of St. Charles can be told from this building," Dixon said. "Buildings are our most eminent, visceral evidence of the past. We have ensured that our heritage is kept in the mainstream of our lives."

Dixon played a large role in getting the municipal building added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1991. He gave city officials a temporary version of a bronze plaque commemorating the designation Saturday.

"This structure was planned with wisdom," Dixon said. "It's supported by strength and adorned in beauty. May it be preserved until the latest ages as a monument of the energy of its creators."

In turn, city officials honored Dixon with a proclamation recognizing more than 30 years of "commitment to social good." And representatives from the American Institute of Architects Illinois Council presented him with the 2015 Charles Nothnagel Award for Public Service recognizing his longtime volunteer service to numerous civic organizations both locally and internationally.

The St. Charles History Museum is featuring a special exhibit called "A Look at Zook: St. Charles Municipal Building Turns 75." Harold Zook was the architect of the 1940s structure. Zook is well-known for designing dozens of homes in Hinsdale. He had a particular fondness for spiders and their webs, which can be seen in various aspects of his designs.

  A mural inside the municipal building depicts key people, places and events from the history of St. Charles. James Fuller/jfuller@dailyherald.com
  The underside of the municipal building's lighted dome features brightly colored stained glass that creates the image of a dark sun during the daytime. James Fuller/jfuller@dailyherald.com
  Representatives from the American Institute of Architects Illinois Council presented the 2015 Charles Nothnagel Award for Public Service to St. Charles resident Mike Dixon. Dixon, an architect and longtime volunteer serving numerous civic organizations both locally and internationally, was instrumental in the municipal building being named to the National Register of Historic Places and was the principal architect on the atrium annex connecting the 1940s municipal building with the original 1890s city building. James Fuller/jfuller@dailyherald.com
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