Ciudad Juarez, Mexico History
Old City Hall

Calle Mariscal at Avenida 16 de Septiembre
Old City Hall dates back to the late nineteenth century.  Saw cut lava rock covers the thick adobe walls and beams which still guard the interior.  This building was a "predisio" (fort) that served as barracks for the troops who fought the ferocious Apache Indians and protected travelers on the El Camino Real. 

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries peace treaties with the Indians were signed in this building.  The highest authority was the Captain of the Presidio, who was a lieutenant of the Governor of New Mexico.  Paso del Norte was the village with the greatest inhabitants in the province. 

It was in this building that the first town council of El Paso del Norte met and decided to join the state of Chihuahua and cease being a part of New Mexico.   The American flag flew over the building in 1846-47 when Col. Alexander Doniphan's army occupied the village during the Mexcan-American War. In 1947 it was reconstructed.  In the foyer is a mural depicting the local history and on the façade of the building the Juarez Coat of Arms.  This site was the seat of civil authority for over 300 years.