City Hall History

On December 4, 1932, Fairbanks’ only school, a wooden structure, burned to the ground, leaving 340 school-age children without a place to attend school. Two weeks after the fire, temporary classrooms were established at the Moose Hall, the American Legion Hall, and Eagles Hall. At times, when more space was necessary, school was also held at the Masonic Temple and the Presbyterian Church. This “temporary” arrangement lasted for 15 months, although discussions and proposals for a new school began immediately after the fire.

Many in the community felt there was a need for a larger school and that building a fire-resistant structure was important. Joseph Boyer and Walter Kuban proposed the development of a three-story, reinforced concrete school, with an estimated cost of $127,000. Their proposed building would have accommodated 400-500 students.

The City Council approved a $100,000 bond proposal for the construction of the school; however, on March 13, 1933, the bond proposal failed when it was taken before the voters. The City Council proposed a second bond in the amount of $98,000; the voters passed it on April 15, 1933. This $98,000, added to the $50,000 insurance money on the first school, put the financing of a new school in place.

In May 1933, William McDonald Construction Company of St. Louis, with the low bid of $117,836, won the building contract for the new school. The company began construction of the new building on the site of the original school. An Art Deco style was chosen, following the design of the recently completed Federal Building in Fairbanks.

The original Main School building had 33 rooms, a large basement, and a 4,000 square foot gymnasium — the largest gym in the state! In 1934, it was the most modern school facility in the Territory of Alaska.

Main School was opened on January 22, 1934, with 16 teachers and 318 students. By 1939, the school was overflowing, and the City added a 12,350 square foot wing on the building’s south side. Then, in 1948, after expanding the boundaries of the School District, Main School found itself again cramped for space. A new wing was added onto the north side of the building. With the south and north additions to the original school, the floor plan became very irregular — so much so that the building became maze-like. The local police even used the building for tactical exercises because of its perplexing side hallways.

As the Fairbanks student population began to grow, new schools were built. Students were distributed among the newer schools, and by 1955 Main School became Main Elementary School, housing kindergartners through eighth graders. Then in 1959, the kindergarten through six grades moved out, and Main Elementary became known as Main Junior High School.

During the height of the economic boom caused by the construction of the Trans-Alaska Pipeline, many new schools were built due to the influx of students into the community and the free-flow of dollars. As a result, in 1976 Main School closed its doors as a public school and became the home of the administrative offices of the Fairbanks North Star Borough School District. It also housed the Fairbanks Correspondence School in the north wing, and then the Fairbanks Alternative High School in the fall of 1977 until 1989.

As early as 1972, Main School began to have serious problems: its heating bills were exorbitant; the mechanical and electrical systems were obsolete; its confusing configuration violated fire and handicapped access codes, and later asbestos was found. The voters consistently opposed approving the expenditure of money to revitalize the old structure.

On September 27, 1990, Main School was added to the National Register of Historic Places. Although federal tax credits became available to renovate the old school after it was added to the historic places register, it was by that time too little, too late. In 1992 it was on the list of the Alaska Association for Historic Preservation’s “Ten Most Endangered Historic Properties.”

In 1993, the School District Offices moved out of the building. Main School was boarded up and the heat turned off — an unfortunate event that resulted in significant water and frost damage. Then, in December 1994, several City offices moved into the building. A basic renovation was done in some rooms and hallways, by City employees on their own time, and Main School began the transformation into City Hall.

On September 9, 1995, a reception honoring the dedication of the Charles W. Fairbanks Sculpture and the Rededication of Historic Main School as Fairbanks City Hall was held. On January 8, 1996, the Mayor and City Council proudly held their first meeting in the newly completed Council Chambers.

City Hall now houses the City Mayor’s Office, the City Clerk’s Office, the City Attorney’s Office, the Building Department, the Engineering Department, the Finance Department, the Personnel Department, and City Council Chambers. The Fairbanks Youth Center (also known as The Boys and Girls Club) occupies part of the building. Fairbanks Youth Court moved into one of the empty offices in April of 1997. Fairbanks Amateur Boxing Club set up residence in July of 1998. This club is headed by Bill Fairbanks, a boxing instructor and role model who specializes in helping disadvantaged youth through leadership, discipline, and physical fitness. The Fairbanks Coalition for Community-Oriented Policing is currently setting up an office in the rear of the building. David Leone is the Executive Chair. Partnered with the City of Fairbanks and the Fairbanks Police Department, their mission is to promote community-oriented policing and problem-solving, recognizing that law enforcement cannot do their job without the help and input from the community.

The Fairbanks City Council passed Resolution 3651 on April 5, 1996, which accepted the conceptual design for the renovation of City Hall. The City’s present goal is to completely restore and renovate the original old school, giving her a much-needed facelift.

• Information for this webpage was gathered from Chris Allan’s report, “The Spirit of Old Main — A History of the Main School (1932-1995).” Copies of this complete study can be purchased in the City Clerk’s Office for $2.00.
• Or download a copy of the report: “The Spirit of Old Main”