The Wall

Bay Village Clerk of Council Joan Kemper examines the recently exposed wall in council chambers. Photo by Denny Wendell

An interesting thing happened in Council Chambers of Bay Village City Hall last month.

The Chambers have been very quiet lately, due to the Coronavirus Pandemic and corresponding regulations concerning public gatherings. So, the Service Department seized the opportunity to remove two panels of the north wall in the Council Chambers that were leaking an unknown substance to remove the substance and repair the wall. They told me to stay away from the area for two full days, but I could return to my office directly behind Council Chambers on Wednesday, May 20.

When I walked into the Council Chambers early that morning, I was greeted with a very beautiful, but unexpected sight. The panels had been removed, revealing a most beautiful brick wall, from floor to ceiling. It is truly magnificent, and speaks of the handiwork and skills of generations gone by.

A plaque in the chambers sets the date of 1914 as the year this portion of the City Hall was dedicated. There is an old saying: “The walls have ears.” I wish this wall could speak, and tell us the story of those who did this work in the early 1900s. And, if it is true that the walls have ears, what stories this beautiful wall would tell.

Joan Kemper

Clerk of Council City of Bay Village

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Volume 12, Issue 11, Posted 11:10 AM, 06.02.2020