Washington County Chamber of Commerce
A modest brick civic building in north Florida, repurposed twice over nearly a century, anchors a historic block in Chipley.
At a glance
Built as City Hall in 1929, this one-story brick structure at 672 Fifth Street has served as public library and now houses the Chamber of Commerce. Its design and materials reflect local and regional craftsmanship of the late 1920s.
History
Chipley’s City Council approved construction of a new City Hall in 1928 at a cost of $8,000. Contractors J.R. and Lee H. Buchanan completed the building in 1929 using locally fired brick from Hall’s Brickyard and a red brick façade supplied by Interlocking Tiling Company of Jacksonville. Architect Alvin R. Moore of Tallahassee designed the structure.
The building later housed the Washington County Public Library before conversion to Chamber of Commerce offices. Major renovations occurred in 2004, with interior modernization in 2007. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places on March 30, 2005.
What you see
The building displays the straightforward domestic and civic architecture of 1920s Florida, constructed from locally sourced materials. Its red brick façade and modest scale reflect the modest public institutions of small-town north Florida during the early twentieth century.
Cultural significance
The Chamber of Commerce building represents the civic pride and economic ambitions of Chipley at the end of the 1920s—a period of regional growth before the economic collapse of the Depression. Its persistence and reuse document changing community needs across generations.
Key facts
- Built 1929; architect Alvin R. Moore (Tallahassee)
- Address: 672 Fifth Street, Chipley, Florida
- Coordinates: 30.78138889, −85.54027778
- Listed National Register of Historic Places: March 30, 2005
- Builders: J.R. and Lee H. Buchanan; materials from Hall’s Brickyard and Interlocking Tiling Company (Jacksonville)
Practical information & getting there
The building stands on the same block as the historic Woman’s Club of Chipley. Chipley is in Washington County in the Florida Panhandle, approximately 100 miles west of Tallahassee. The Chamber of Commerce occupies the ground floor; contact ahead to arrange visits.
Sources & resources
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