Steel Beams For City Hall

The new Erie, PA City Hall under construction in 1963 with the old City Hall in the background.

The steel beams arrived for the new Erie City Hall in June of 1963 and the crew of the H. Platt Company started to construct the frame on the southwest corner of State and South Park Row. This was the site of the original Erie Trust Building and later the newer Elks Club. The old City Hall, seen in the photo above, was on the southeast corner of Peach and South Park Row. Gannon's Old Main (the Strong Mansion) is visible in the lower right hand corner of the photo.

The new City Hall was 245 long on the South Park Row side and 160 feet in length along State Street. Parts of the building were five stories high with a basement, and other parts were one story high with a basement. There was surface and below ground parking on the Peach Street side. The Erie Police Department shooting range and the Erie City Jail was located in the northwest portion of the main building. The office of Erie Mayor Lou Tullio was also located in this structure.

Architects Nelson, Goldberg & Heidt designed the building. Perry Truck & Erection Company rigged the I-beams. William T. Spaeder provided heating, cooling and air conditioning, and Church & Murdock installed the electrical work.

Find more historic photos and facts about Erie, Pennsylvania at Old Time Erie

Kenilworth Apartments Going Up

The U-shaped building on the southeast corner of 6th and Chestnut was under construction in the spring of 1924. This grainy photo was published in the Erie Dispatch-Herald. Gannon University students know this as the Kenilworth Apartments. This three-story building at 351 West 6th Street in Erie, PA sits on a 120' x 165' corner lot and houses up to 120 Gannon students. There are bricks, blocks and wood piled up on Sixth Street. Looks like a truck took out a tree while delivering construction materials on Chestnut Street.

Selling points for potential residents: Each spacious apartment contains at least one kitchen, living room and bathroom, and some units have up to four bedrooms. Rooms are completely furnished by the university. There are two laundry rooms in the basement and key entry to the building to discourage unwanted guests. The downside? Limited off-street parking. Sounds like a sweet deal if you can afford the rent. Kenilworth is located across the street from the Watson-Curtze mansion/museum and within walking distance of the Gannon campus.

See more fun facts and photos of Erie's history at: Old Time Erie.