Town hall

Lappeenranta Town Hall is the oldest wooden town hall in Finland, built in 1829 and preserved to the present day. When it was completed, it was the first public building in Lappeenranta, along with the church. Damaged in the bombing in 1940, the Town Hall has been restored to almost its original colour. The interior has been partly restored using original, individually restored furniture and lighting fixtures. Lappeenranta Town Hall is one of the most magnificent buildings in the city. The Town Hall has been used for dancing, weddings, welcoming the New Year and representing the city.

History

Construction of the Town Hall began after an inspection by Governor A. Ramsay and Governor General Zakrewski in Lappeenranta in 1827. The town had just under a thousand inhabitants and the settlement began to expand beyond the hill of the fortress. The Governor-General ordered that a town hall be built in Lappeenranta, in the Suure Esikaupunk, where the settlement was also moving. Town halls were usually built in the 19th century near the market square. The town hall, completed in August 1829, was Lappeenranta's first public building, in addition to the church. It was an 11 x 17 m yellow-painted log building lined with boards and with a black-painted, two-storey boarded roof.

Image: Lappeenrannan kaupunki

Source: visitlappeenranta