May 2025.
The Richardsonian Romanesque Memorial Hall is a massive, stalwart addition to Main Street. While largely composed of brick with only some masonry accents, the building still maintains the eclectic massing and colossal arches of the style.
Memorial Hall is located at 165 East Main Street in downtown Circleville, Ohio. It is bordered by Main Street to the north, smaller houses to the south, Pickaway Street to the east, and the Stripped Classical Fifth Third Bank to the west.
History
Memorial Hall as it appeared shortly after its construction. (Ohio History Connection)
Memorial Hall was built in 1891 in memoriam of Pickaway County’s Civil War veterans, which were one of Ohio’s largest contingents. Ohio’s general assembly passed legislation in 1871 that allowed its counties to raise money for Civil War monuments, and many subsequently built buildings of their own. Examples in other counties that I’ve covered include Shelby County’s Monumental Building, one of the first of these buildings, and Newark’s lost Auditorium (which was built as the Soldiers & Sailors Building). This building’s funding came from a property tax levy passed by Circleville citizens in 1890. The Circleville government likewise contributed, but their involvement was contingent upon a new library and armory located within.
When Memorial Hall opened, it included many features used by the community. The first floor was Pickaway County’s library for decades, only ceasing this use roughly a century later with the construction of their new building at 1160 North Court Street. The second floor contains a large auditorium, which was Circleville’s largest until recently, hosting events such as dances and civic meetings. The third floor has a balcony overlooking the space.
The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. Today, Memorial Hall is used by the Roundtown Players (a community theater) and the YMCA’s Creative Arts Center.
Photos
The asymmetrical massing of the building is best visible when viewed at an angle:
Memorial Hall’s historic significance lies within its original condition. Beyond replacing leaky windows and updating the building’s systems, it largely maintains its historic character. It is completely unaltered on the exterior and retains much of its original woodwork and tin ceilings inside.
The north facade is dominated by the cross gable with its three bays, but the similarly large tower serves as a foil to its squareness. The typical dark stone voussoirs vault over the rounded windows.
Detail of the lovely arched portal:
Note the pedestal beneath the right columns that has the building’s date on it. These florid capitals are another typical feature, but here the carving seems a bit clumsy. Maybe an apprentice did them?
The east facade is articulated similarly to the north:
Here, the projection is smaller (only two bays instead of three), and the interstitial space between it and the tower is larger. The library and armory are entered through here. Each has a similar vaulted entrance:
I think Memorial Hall is a nice building at an appropriate scale for Circleville. Its original features add more significance to the building’s brief history.
Sources:
https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/80003211.pdf
https://digital-collections.columbuslibrary.org/digital/collection/postcard/id/4924
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