Uniopolis Town Hall
Encyclopedia
The Uniopolis Town Hall is a historic village hall and museum
in Uniopolis
, Ohio
, United States
. Built in 1875, this Gothic Revival
structure was built as a church, the Divinity Church of the United Brethren in Christ
. The building ceased to be used for this purpose in 1900, when it was purchased by the village of Uniopolis and converted into a village hall. After more than ninety years of service as a village hall, the building began a process of conversion into the museum of the Uniopolis Historical Society
.
The Uniopolis Town Hall is a simple Carpenter Gothic
structure with five lancet window
s on each side. Its weatherboarded
walls rest upon a foundation of concrete and are topped with a roof of asphalt. As the Uniopolis municipal building, it has served a range of non-governmental purposes, including use as a community meeting room and as an auditorium
. In recognition of its importance to the community, the village hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1994. Although it was built in 1875, its primary use as a community building means that its period of historic significance was deemed to have begun in 1900.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
in Uniopolis
Uniopolis, Ohio
Uniopolis is a village in Auglaize County, Ohio, United States with a population of 256 as of the 2000 U.S. census. It is included in the Wapakoneta, Ohio Micropolitan Statistical Area.The village is served by the Wapakoneta City School District.-History:...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Built in 1875, this Gothic Revival
Gothic Revival architecture
The Gothic Revival is an architectural movement that began in the 1740s in England...
structure was built as a church, the Divinity Church of the United Brethren in Christ
Church of the United Brethren in Christ
The Church of the United Brethren in Christ is an evangelical Christian denomination based in Huntington, Indiana. It is a Protestant denomination of episcopal structure, Arminian theology, with roots in the Mennonite and German Reformed communities of 18th century Pennsylvania, as well as close...
. The building ceased to be used for this purpose in 1900, when it was purchased by the village of Uniopolis and converted into a village hall. After more than ninety years of service as a village hall, the building began a process of conversion into the museum of the Uniopolis Historical Society
Historical society
A historical society is an organization that collects, researches, interprets and preserves information or items of historical interest. Generally, a historical society focuses on a specific geographical area, such as a county or town or subject, such as aviation or rail. Many historical...
.
The Uniopolis Town Hall is a simple Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic
Carpenter Gothic, also sometimes called Carpenter's Gothic, and Rural Gothic, is a North American architectural style-designation for an application of Gothic Revival architectural detailing and picturesque massing applied to wooden structures built by house-carpenters...
structure with five lancet window
Lancet window
A lancet window is a tall narrow window with a pointed arch at its top. It acquired the "lancet" name from its resemblance to a lance. Instances of this architectural motif are most often found in Gothic and ecclesiastical structures, where they are often placed singly or in pairs.The motif first...
s on each side. Its weatherboarded
Weatherboarding
Weatherboarding is the cladding or ‘siding’ of a house consisting of long thin timber boards that overlap one another, either vertically or horizontally on the outside of the wall. They are usually of rectangular section with parallel sides...
walls rest upon a foundation of concrete and are topped with a roof of asphalt. As the Uniopolis municipal building, it has served a range of non-governmental purposes, including use as a community meeting room and as an auditorium
Auditorium
An auditorium is a room built to enable an audience to hear and watch performances at venues such as theatres. For movie theaters, the number of auditoriums is expressed as the number of screens.- Etymology :...
. In recognition of its importance to the community, the village hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1994. Although it was built in 1875, its primary use as a community building means that its period of historic significance was deemed to have begun in 1900.