What Is the Bellingham City Hall?
This is the art deco city hall building of Bellingham, Washington!
What Makes It Historical?
The city of Bellingham incorporated in 1903 when the communities of Whatcom and Sehome merged together with a total population of 22,632. Up until that point, the old city hall from 1893 was doing just fine to meet the needs of these city folks, but by the late 1920s, the growing city government was ready to molt! Funding such a project was not easy, since the area’s main sources of income—coal, lumber, and fish—had mostly been depleted! You wouldn’t think it, but the solution came during the Great Depression! $2.2 billion in New Deal relief flowed into Washington under the Works Progress Administration (WPA), which was charged with putting folks to work in building and beautifying the cities where they lived! This philosophy was part of the City Beautiful Movement!
Of the forty WPA projects in Bellingham, the new city hall was the only government building to be built by the program. In fact, 65% of current United States courthouses and city halls were built during this time! The architect was British-born Leonard William S. Bindon, who designed the building in PWA Moderne style, a kind of art deco that could be built more easily by unskilled workers during the Depression! It is less ornate but just as exotic with three Egyptian-style figures over the door, representing local government consulting with industry and family to move forward for social justice!
How Can I #HelpTheHelpers?
- Volunteer with the Whatcom County Historical Society!
- Become a member of the Whatcom County 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?
210 Lottie St
Bellingham, WA 98225
(Take Me There!)
When Should I Visit?
Bellingham City Hall is open Monday through Friday from 8:00 AM until 5:00 PM!