City-county building

At the end of October of 1929, a $1.5 million (approximately $18.7 million today) structure, described as “…an inspiration for better government and a symbol of progress and prosperity,” was dedicated at Central Avenue and Washington Street in downtown Phoenix.

More than 7,000 residents attended the dedication of the new city- county building. It was reported that the building was “flooded with light from roof to cellar.” The ceremony started with a band concert, followed by a speaking program and ended with a street dance on Second Avenue between Washington and Jefferson streets with music by the Clinton Julian Orchestra. An estimated 800 to 1,000 couples danced between 9:30 p.m. and midnight. The building was designed by architect Edward Neild of Shreveport, La.

From one angle, the structure appeared to form a giant H that was about 230 feet long and 130 feet deep.
The central part of the building was seven stories tall. The two wings of the building contained four stories built with reinforced concrete.

While the building contained both city and county offices, each entity operated independently. The offices could be closed or opened without affecting the operation of the other government.

The outside of the building was described in 1929 as being “American Modernistic” with “Southwestern” symbols. The marble used in the building was selected to serve as a link between early life in Arizona and the civilization of 1929.

The east portion of the building contained county offices. The first floor included the engine room, Car License Department, Records Department, Justice Court and the criminal division of the Sheriff’s Office.
The second floor held the assessor, treasurer and recorder’s offices.

The third floor included the county school superintendent, clerk of the Superior Court and two court rooms.
The fourth floor contained the County Attorney’s Office and Board of Supervisors. The remaining floors contained jail facilities.

On the city side of the building, the first floor held the Police Department, Police Court, Health Department and the inspector of Weights and Measures. The second floor held the treasurer, assessor, and Water Department.

The third floor contained the City Clerk’s Office, the City Manager’s Office, Civil Service Office, Auditor’s Office, Building Office and the Purchasing Office. The fourth floor contained the City Engineering Department, Planning and Zoning Commission, and the Municipal Art Gallery. The City Jail occupied the floors above these offices.

Gov. John Phillips spoke during the dedication. As a part of his speech, he said, “I see in the audience people older than the state itself, people who were here when Arizona was a part of an unassimilated territory…They are the ones who built the state universities, the colleges, the state hospitals, the prisons, the roads, and all other symbols of prosperous civilization.”

The speakers were interrupted by hoots and catcalls from prisoners on the sixth and seventh floor jail facilities. On the night of the dedication, there were 222 prisoners in the jail. This was the largest number of prisoners ever held in the jails of Maricopa County to that time. This number included 23 women.

During the speeches, Sheriff Charles Wright left the ceremony, took the elevator to the jail and quieted the noisy prisoners.

After the dedication ceremony, visitors were allowed to tour the new building, including the jail. Hundreds of people lined up for the elevators to the sixth and seventh floors. Prisoners on the sixth floor did not like the stream of visitors going past their cells.

Reporters speculated the prisoners did not like “…visitors disturbing their games and other evening amusements.” The prisoners began pounding on the steel doors and walls of their cells. A jailer was slightly injured when a light fell from the ceiling.

The sheriff also had a display of stills and confiscated alcohol.

Eight stills were on display, including a large German still that was smuggled to Arizona through Mexico.
Visitors were attracted to the large collection of alcohol the sheriff had amassed. There was beer and kegs of wine and whiskey that had been confiscated due to prohibition.

Several bottles of beer exploded when the visitors handled the warm bottles. The sheriff eventually put up warning signs that the beer might explode “…on the slightest provocation.”

Maricopa County and the city of Phoenix no longer use the building as their main center of government. The building was eventually restored and now is used for a variety of public purposes.

- Mike Miller. Photo courtesy of the Phoenix Public Library.