The Lima Memorial Hall is a historic performing arts center and city hall on the edge of downtown Lima, Ohio, United States.[2] Designed by the architectural company of Dawson & McLaughlin and named for local military veterans, the Beaux-Arts building was built in 1908.[1] A dominating aspect of its architecture is the massive marble staircase that rises from the foyer to a second-floor open balcony.[2]
As a performing arts center, Memorial Hall has hosted concerts by John Philip Sousa's band, Victor Borge, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and singers from the Boston and Chicago opera companies.[2] It no longer serves as the city hall; the municipal offices are now located on Public Square at the center of the city.[3]
The building was featured in the August 1911 issue of The Ohio Architect, Engineer, and Builder magazine "to illustrate the work of the architectural firm, Dawson and McLaughlin....It is a handsome example of Beaux Arts Classicism."[4]
In 1979, Memorial Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[1] Both its architecture and its contribution to local history were significant enough to qualify it for listing by themselves.[4] As of 1979, the building had not ever been expanded, but its entry doors and its windows were all replaced in 1971.[4]
