The first story is constructed of red brick, with lighter brick above; belt courses run between floors and above the windows; additional trim is made from sandstone.[2] A square tower dominates the center of the front facade; the front entrance is through the tower.[2] Pavilions on each side of the tower terminate in gables projecting from the hipped roof,[4] originally covered with slate.[2] Each of the pavilions has a group of three arched windows on each story; the tower has two arched windows on each story and a single arched entrance on the ground level.[4]
The third story of the tower is pierced with arched openings,[4] and an octagonal cupola sits atop the tower.[3] A small, flat-roofed, one-story addition projects toward the rear.[2]
The interior of the building is finished with plaster and wainscoting, and contains Art Deco light fixtures.[4] The first floor contains a village office, police and fire station, and a lounge area.[4] The second floor contains a council hall, large meeting room, and kitchen, bathroom, and storage facilities.[4]
History
The village of Lake Linden suffered a devastating fire in May 1887, which affected 75% of the structures.[3] Although the frame village hall survived, city fathers believed that a new fireproof structure with space for a fire station would be in the best interests of the community.[2] In 1901, the village asked architects for designs, and chose one submitted by Charles K. Shand[3] of Calumet.[2] The Hall was built by a local contractor, L. F. Ursin, and opened in 1902, serving as village offices, fire station, polling place, and public meeting hall.[2]
A propeller from the Lady Be Good, an American B-24 Liberator lost in the Libyan Desert in April 1943, is on display in front of the village hall. Crewmember T/Sgt. Robert E. LaMotte of Lake Linden was a radio operator aboard the aircraft. His remains were found in the desert in 1960.[5]
^Charles Eshbach. "The Mystery Bomber's Crew". KTOnline. Retrieved July 24, 2011., gleaned from Mario Martinez (April 1999), Lady's Men: The Story of World War II's Mystery Bomber and Her Crew, US Naval Institute Press, ISBN1-55750-553-5
