What Is Pawtucket City Hall?
This is the Art Deco city hall building of Pawtucket, Rhode Island!
What Makes It Historical?
Designed by Thomas O’Malley, this Art Deco building was the first in Rhode Island to be built with Public Works Administration funds under the National Recovery Act of 1933! It was an early example of a consolidated city hall, headquarters of the whole city government: mayor, city council, courts, police, fire department, etc! After three years of construction, it was completed in 1936!
The mayor at this time was Thomas McCoy, the “Prince of Pawtucket,” who’d risen from a union leader to state legislator to mayor in a landslide election in 1936! He was a mayor as consolidated as the city hall, serving as auditor, comptroller, chairman of the Sinking Fund, chairman of the Purchasing Board, clerk of the city council, and Weigher of Merchandise, supervised only by his brother, Ambrose! Though a pretty corrupt political boss, he nevertheless restructured Pawtucket’s tax base, boosted relief rolls, and expanded health services, which helped the city weather the impact of the Great Depression! Did he try to build an expensive baseball stadium on top of a swamp that swallowed it multiple times? Sure, but it employed lots of Pawtucket residents! Did he violate federal law by using wartime steel to build that sinking baseball stadium? Absolutely, and with President Roosevelt’s compliments! With Pawtucket out of the Great Depression, and the Second World War barely over, Mayor McCoy died at sixty-two, leaving behind a stadium in his name and a grateful city!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the Rhode Island Historical Society!
- Donate to the Rhode Island Historical Society!
- Be a responsible visitor! Please respect the signs and pathways, and treat all structures and artifacts with respect. They’ve endured a lot to survive into the present. They’ll need our help to make it into the future!
How Do I Get There?
137 Roosevelt Ave
Pawtucket, RI 02860
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Pawtucket City Hall opens weekdays at 8:00 AM. Monday through Wednesday, it’s open until 4:30 PM. Thursdays, it’s open until 6:00 PM, and Fridays, it’s open until 12:30 PM!