60 Pleasant Street

History

On March 19, 1850, the citizens of Newburyport voted to construct a town hall with a budget of at most $30,000. The building committee, comprised of individuals such as Charles H. Coffin, Albert Currier (a renowned contractor and mason), John M. Cooper, Frederick J. Coffin (a local architect), James Blood (a real estate investor), and others, oversaw the project. The chosen location was at the northwest corner of Green and Pleasant Streets.

The design of the building was the work of Frederick Coffin, who was also the architect behind the Green Street Baptist Church in 1848 and the Ocean Steam Mill on Warren Street.

The cornerstone of the building was laid on July 4, 1850, and the construction was completed by February 1851. The annual town meeting took place here in March 1851, and a month later, a bill was passed allowing Newburyport to annex a large part of Newbury, including the areas known as Ridge, Joppa, Belleville, Grasshopper Plains, and Artichoke. On June 25, 1851, a new city government was officially organized, and Caleb Cushing was elected the first mayor.

In the 19th century, City Hall played a central role in local civic and social activities. The city's first public library occupied a first-floor room from 1855 until 1865. The venue hosted various events, including public celebrations, the fireman's fair, the annual policeman's ball, minstrel shows, dance recitals, memorial services, dances, banquets, art exhibits, lectures, fairs, and concerts.

Interestingly, around 1873, architects Bryant & Rogers proposed preliminary sketches for Mayor Elbridge Kelley, envisioning significant alterations to the appearance of City Hall. These plans included a tall tower on the east corner of the building, an ornamental portico with an entrance on Green Street, and an entrance to the theater in the rear. However, these plans were never realized.