Column At Old Town Hall Collapses In Fairfax City

Press release from the City of Fairfax:

08/14/2020 10:34 AM

At 3:42 a.m. Friday morning, one of the four ornamental columns on the front porch of Fairfax City's historic Old Town Hall (3999 University Drive) collapsed. The northbound lane of University Drive remains closed to allow the city's public works department to install a temporary column.

The northernmost column fell onto the sidewalk and into the road. No one was injured and no property was damaged. The wooden columns are hollow and do not provide direct load-bearing support for the overhang. No secondary damage or indications that additional collapse may occur were observed by the city’s Building Official during his initial assessment of the structure.

It appears water from recent rainstorms exacerbated existing rot in the column's base, which rests on a concrete pad. A third-party structural engineer will assess the condition of the remaining three columns. They will be replaced if necessary.

Old Town Hall was built in 1900 by Joseph E. Willard. The building was restored in 1996.

This press release was produced by the City of Fairfax. The views expressed here are the author’s own.