Meriden City Hall, Meriden, Connecticut:
On East Main Street, Meriden’s first town hall was erected in 1854, costing $60,000. Following its dedication in 1858, Reverend Henry Ward Beecher gave a lecture to a large crowd. Then in March of 1860, even more people showed up to hear Abraham Lincoln speak during his presidential campaign. From 1889 to 1891, City Hall was completely renovated. The expansion included a clock tower and a centered dome. However on Valentine’s Day, 1904, Meriden City Hall burned down. The fire caused $130,000 in damages and injured six firefighters. Started by what authorities think were crossed electrical wires, the blaze burned for eight hours and destroyed the property.
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