Constructing City Hall

After the City assumed ownership of the Dalhousie College building and the Grand Parade, it sought bids for constructing a new city hall. The lowest bid came from E.A. Milliken & Co. of Moncton. In the spring of 1887, Milliken began to dismantle the college building. As the design for city hall called for granite outer foundation walls, Milliken used the ironstone from the college for the inner foundation walls. Work went forward slowly, but it became clear by the following spring that Milliken could not fulfill his contractual obligations.

The City cancelled Milliken’s contract and brought in Rhodes, Curry Co. from Amherst, which agreed to complete the work for $79,450. As chief mason the firm engaged John Cawsey of Halifax, who had just completed the masonry work for the First Baptist Church at the corner of Spring Garden Road and Queen Street. Granite was used for the bottom storey, while for the two upper stories bright freestone from Wallace and River John quarries on the province’s North Shore was used with brown freestone trimmings and cornices. With payments to Milliken and to Rhodes, Curry and the architect, who received $500, the total cost would come to $105,000.

Next: First Council Meeting and the Mayor’s ‘At Home’ in New City Hall