Old Wayne Village Hall

Since 1878 the Old Wayne Village Hall has served as the center of civic affairs in Wayne. It is one of the few surviving Second Empire-style buildings in Wayne County. The first meeting of the village took place on April 20, 1869. In the following years, meetings were held in rented quarters. In 1877, when the village’s population had reached fourteen hundred, Wayne officials approved plans for a village hall and jail. James Lewis of Detroit received the building contract in January 1878. On August 19, 1878, the cornerstone was laid. The new village hall, built at a total cost of $1,415, was completed on November 19, 1878, and accepted for use on January 7, 1879. In 1916 quarters for the police and fire departments were added. The building became the home of the Wayne Historical Museum in 1969.