Chester City Hall   Hancock County, WV
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submitted by  jwaite@weir.net

Chester City Hall - 

The original City Hall was a very small building on the corner of 4th and Indiana Avenue.  The present City Hall opened in 1927 and was constructed also to house the Chester Fire Department.

The front room was the Police Headquarters here Mayor's Court was held.  A clerk's office and Council Chamber were also on the first floor.  The rear right corners held two jail cells.  A caretaker's apartment, gymnasium/auditorium, kitchen and stage were on the second floor.  A lot of memories exist from use of the second floor area.  Chester High School played their basketball games, stage plays and school plays were presented, clubs and political caucuses were held, and graduates received their diplomas there.

The caretaker would cook the prisoner's meals for $1.00 a day.  The late Demar Miller had many musical programs in the auditorium and secured many of the radio stars from the Midnight Jamboree in Wheeling, including Big Slim and his horse, Little Sunflower, Shirley the Cowgirl, and others.  After the war when veterans returned after World War II, the city opened the auditorium for basketball leagues.  The Kiwanis had their first pancake supper in 1952 at City Hall and the fireman had minstrels and bingo there.  During the flood of 1936, the basement had over 4 feet of water in it.

Courtesy of Roy C. Cashdollar, with permission