Binghamton City Hall

Binghamton City Hall is a five-story masonry building located where Court and Academy Streets meet, featuring a mansard roof topped by a distinctive cupola. The structure displays ornate details and heavy stonework that exemplify Second Empire style adapted by American builders of that period.

Architect Raymond F. Almirall designed this municipal building between 1897 and 1898 during a period of civic expansion in Binghamton. The structure gained listing on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971, several years after the city government moved its headquarters elsewhere.

The building reflects how growing American cities of the late 1800s borrowed European design ideas to show their importance and sophistication. Its grand style conveyed that civic institutions deserved the same attention to detail as important European buildings.

The building sits at a prominent corner in downtown Binghamton where it is easily visible and accessible on foot from nearby streets. You can walk around the exterior to appreciate the architectural details from different angles throughout the day.

The building sat vacant and deteriorating for more than a decade after city offices relocated in the early 1970s. A major restoration project eventually converted the interior into residential apartments, giving the structure a new purpose while preserving its original exterior.