An historic city hall building in New Bern, N.C., recently became more accessible because of a new elevator annex that was constructed with an eye toward taking nothing away from the historic majesty of the building.

New Bern City Hall was built in the late 1890s and also used as a federal courthouse, customs office and post office. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. As Colleen Roberts, New Bern public information officer and brand manager, described, “It’s an iconic feature of the downtown New Bern landscape.”

The question of city hall’s accessibility was frequently brought up for discussion, however, along with concern over how to make changes while maintaining the historic value of the building.

“City hall’s accessibility has been a discussion for decades,” Roberts mentioned. “As a welcome and meeting place for the public, quasi-judicial and governing boards, visiting dignitaries and more, it lacked the opportunity to allow everyone to participate in local government.”

As discussion progressed, historians and enthusiasts alike were concerned about how an elevator could be implemented within the current footprint of the building, especially given its age.

“The city considered several options and ultimately decided an annex would be best. It would include storage, accessible restrooms, a lobby area and stairwell,” Roberts said. City leaders carefully considered the architectural, construction and other contractor support in order to marry the look of historic city hall with the design and facade of the annex.

After deciding to construct the annex, the city had to make a presentation to the Historic Preservation Commission and receive approval before moving forward. The architectural firm chosen was selected due to its specialization with historic properties.

When building the annex, the construction team had to first build it self-standing and then build on the connections. On the first and second floor, the connections were made through a restroom; on the third floor, connection to the annex went through a spare office in the information technology department.

“Chief among what we wanted was a seamless look with the likeness of the two buildings,” Roberts stressed. The brick and mortar company chosen ensured that the color of the mortar would match and the brick laying would look the same as on the annex as city hall. It was even possible to find gutters with fascia to match the historic construction.

Having accessible restrooms was a necessity, so multi-stall restrooms were incorporated on both floors of the annex along with wide hallways and stairways and additional storage space. “It gives us the wiggle room we desperately needed,” Roberts admitted.

There were only a few delays in construction. Windows in the same shape as the city hall’s existing windows were difficult to find, and due to summer construction shortages, the expansive electric panel for the elevator was delayed.

Some excavation was necessary on the site before construction could begin with the removal of old pieces of concrete below the surface. A bust of Baron Christoph von Graffenreid and a plaque commemorating the first printing press in North Carolina had to be relocated. However, thanks to close collaboration between the companies, the number of challenges and setbacks were minimal.

Roberts also believes that the benefit of being a small town with its own architectural firm and construction company helped as well.

A groundbreaking was held on May 10, 2022. The project took 16 months to complete. And during construction of the annex, New Bern had a special visitor.

“The mayor of Bern, Switzerland, was in the United States for an educational opportunity, and he included a trip to New Bern as part of his travel itinerary so that he could visit city hall and see the new annex,” Roberts said. “We had a good time showing him all the improvements to date.”

Cost for the annex project was $4.1 million. A ribbon cutting for the new building took place Oct. 10.

Maintenance and upkeep of a building that is both historical and functional can have its challenges, though. “As with any historic structure, city hall requires TLC from time to time,” Roberts explained. “Recently the city undertook a brick repointing project to repair and replace the brick mortar joints. Decades of weather, tropical storms and hurricanes had taken their toll and water and wind had begun penetrating the exterior walls. Simultaneously, we had the windows reglazed. Combined, it was about an eight-month project.

“Since the building has a basement, we faced a challenge with Hurricane Florence, too. Several inches of water flooded the basement. But the area is mostly used for storage, supplies and our employee breakroom. It has since been renovated and repaired.”

Residents and visitors to New Bern alike appreciate the historic appeal of city hall.

“The clocktower is an unmistakable part of the city landscape,” Roberts mentioned. There are also bear statues, which were gifted to the city, above the portico of city hall. The only other location of such statues in the city is at the oldest chartered fire department in the state, which is now a museum.

The overall shape and historic look of city hall and the annex are faithfully reminiscent of the 1800s. “It’s the perfect place to take a stroll back in time,” she said.

Since the annex has opened to the public, New Bern has received an overwhelmingly positive response.

“Residents are amazed at how much the two buildings look alike,” Roberts stated. “And visitors to New Bern comment that they never would have known the two weren’t constructed at the same time. We’ve noticed the annex getting more and more foot traffic, especially when quasi-judicial and governing board meetings are scheduled upstairs in the courtroom. It’s a remarkable feat of historic preservation.”

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