Des Moines City Hall
- Architects
- Proudfoot and Bird Wetherell and Gage Hallett and Rawson Liebbe, Nourse and Rasmussen
- Year
- 1910
- Style
- Beaux-Arts
- City
- Des Moines, IA
Des Moines City Hall was built in 1909 and 1910 and served as the seat of city government for 114 years and 29 days, from January 1, 1912, until it was vacated in January 2026. It was designed by the firms Proudfoot and Bird, Wetherell and Gage, Hallett and Rawson, and Liebbe, Nourse and Rasmussen in the Beaux-Arts style. City services have since moved to the TM Franklin Cownie City Administration Building at 1200 Locust Street.
the building
114 years as city hall. The building served as the administrative seat of Des Moines city government from January 1, 1912, to January 29, 2026 — 114 years and 29 days — before being vacated and redesignated the Des Moines Historic City Hall, with the city retaining ownership.
2016 renovation. Beginning April 7, 2016, City Hall offices were temporarily relocated while the building underwent renovation to install modern infrastructure.
the style
City Hall was built in the Beaux-Arts style, a grand civic idiom reflected in its design by four collaborating architectural firms.
More on Beaux-Artsthe architect
The building was designed jointly by the firms Proudfoot and Bird, Wetherell and Gage, Hallett and Rawson, and Liebbe, Nourse and Rasmussen.
significance
Des Moines City Hall was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places on November 10, 1977, as the Municipal Building, and became a contributing property to the Civic Center Historic District in 1988. It was vacated in January 2026 and redesignated the Des Moines Historic City Hall, with the City of Des Moines retaining ownership.
nearby
- United States Courthouse
- Public Library of Des Moines
- United States Post Office
- Homestead Building
- Iowa Commission for the Blind Building
- Hotel Kirkwood (Des Moines)