In 1881, Robert Rhodes built his summer home on land that would later become Lakewood Park. This house became Lakewood City Hall in 1920 after the city purchased the old Rhodes Estate in 1918. In 1958, it was reported that the house needed $200,000 in repairs to prevent its condemnation by the State Fire Marshal. Dangerous wiring, sagging floors, rodent infestation, and a boiler room that was not fireproof were among the house's numerous problems. Rather than make the repairs, the city decided to build a new City Hall on Detroit Avenue.
In this photograph from December 1959, a crowd gathers as the demolition of the old City Hall begins.
