National and State Registers of Historic Places
Norcatur City Hall
107 N Decatur Avenue
Norcatur (Decatur County)
Listed in National Register
Apr 7, 2014
Architect: Hildebrand, C. H.
Category: city hall
Thematic Nomination: New Deal-era Resources of Kansas
In 1935, Norcatur residents voted 213 to three in favor of matching a federal grant of $26,000 to erect a new city hall. Despite construction delays and the frequent turnover of project managers, the Norcatur City Hall was completed in August 1937 under the auspices of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), a New Deal-era work relief program. Civic buildings erected as part of this program typically featured expressions of Classical or Moderne architecture. The Norcatur City Hall reflects a vernacular interpretation of the Streamlined Moderne style with its stucco and concrete exterior, multi-light steel casement windows, pipe railings, flat roof, and modest horizontal tile accents. This style gained favor in the 1930s in part because of its de-emphasis of extravagant architectural ornament in favor of clean lines and modern materials. The small-town city hall housed the local government office, jail, fire department, and a basement assembly hall where civic groups and others could gather. It closed in 1985. The building was nominated as part of the "New Deal-Era Resources of Kansas" multiple property nomination for its local significance in the areas of government, entertainment, recreation, social history, and architecture.
