Cicero in Cook County, Illinois — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)
Site of Cicero Town Hall
1903 - 2008
| | 150 Year Anniversary 1857-2007 | |
Photographed by Sean Flynn
1. Site of Cicero Town Hall Marker
The Town Hall of the Town of Cicero stood here more than a century following the separation of Berwyn and Oak Park from Cicero in 1902. The original building was greatly expanded in the late 1930's. A further addition to it was made in the 1970's.
A large wing was built in the early 1990's. The Town Hall contained the offices of the elected officials and most administrative facilities except for Public Works and the Cicero Fire Department which were located at separate buildings. The Cicero Police station was part of the Town Hall complex. The Courtroom served as the meeting chambers for the Town Board.
Government operations were transferred to their present site to the new Municipal Complex in 2008 and the historic Cicero Town Hall was closed.
Erected 2009 by Town of Cicero.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Government & Politics • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1903.
Location. Marker is missing. It was located near 41° 50.703′ N, 87° 44.926′ W. Marker was in Cicero, Illinois, in Cook County. It was on South 50th
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Regionally, this marker was in Greater Chicago. It was also in the American Midwest and on the Great Lakes. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, and the Northwest Territory.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within one mile of this location, measured as the crow flies: Cicero Veterans Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away); Mary Queen of Heaven Catholic Parish (approx. half a mile away); Jesus Christ King of the Universe Statue (approx. half a mile away); Manuel Perez Jr. Memorial Plaza (approx. 0.8 miles away); The Manuel Pιrez, Jr. Memorial Plaza (approx. 0.8
Photographed by Sean Flynn, December 15, 2023
2. Site of Cicero Town Hall Marker
The unused former town hall and a decaying old memorial to World War I veterans are in the background.
More about this marker. The Old Cicero Town Hall was demolished in 2026, and the historical marker appears to have been taken down with it; it was not spotted during a June 2026 visit. It is not known if the sign will be reposted after the site is redeveloped.
The marker had been originally erected after the Town of Cicero departed this building in 2008 for its new municipal building, about ½-mile due north of here at 4949 W. Cermak Ave. (22nd St.).
Still on site, however, is what's left of Cicero's World War I monument. Although greatly decayed and decrepit (missing its plaques and the eagle that once adorned the top), it is still prominent.
Regarding Site of Cicero Town Hall. The top of this historical marker featured the seal of Cicero, Illinois, which includes the date of the town's founding: February 26, 1867. The 5.5-square-mile town was formed within the Township of Cicero,
Photographed by Sean Flynn, December 15, 2023
3. Old Cicero Town Hall
The old town hall's entrance on 25th Place.
Cicero is the only municipality in Cook County to operate a town form of government, and one of only 11 towns in the state of Illinois as of 2023, according to the Illinois State Comptroller.
The old town hall went mostly unused after closing around 2008, other than occasional use as an annual Halloween haunted house known as the Cicero Town Hall of Horrors, operated town employees. However, it appears the final haunted house occurred in 2016, and the building was empty for most of the following decade.
In 2026, the building was demolished. According to the town, it will be replaced by a senior center.
Additional commentary.
1. Al Capone and the old Cicero Town Hall
After reformist William Dever was elected as Chicago's crime-fighting mayor in 1923, mobster Al Capone relocated operations to Cicero, an adjacent suburb west of Chicago, as a way to avoid any potential increase in pressure from Chicago law enforcement.
As Capone sought
Photographed by Sean P. Flynn, June 22, 2026
4. Cicero Town Hall demolition (2026)
The building was torn down over several months in 2026. Ciceros World War I memorial remains standing nearby.
According to the Chicago Tribune, on Election Day that April Capone-led gunmen in automobiles "sped up and down the streets, slugging and kidnapping election workers. A Cicero policeman was disarmed, beaten and sent to the hospital." As many as 20 men were kidnapped, carted off to the basement of a plumbing shop, and chained to pipes and posts. Meanwhile voters were threatened at polling places. In the end, Klenha won handily and went on to serve two four-year terms as Cicero's mayor.
Later in 1924, Cicero Town Hall was the site of an incident that demonstrated the breadth of Capone's power in Ciceroand Klenha's lack thereof. As the (possibly apocryphal) story goes, Capone lost his temper at Klenha, who may have been attempting to exert his power in a way that Capone disagreed with. Capone publicly slapped Klenha down the steps of the town hall.
Capone was convicted in 1931 of
Chicago Daily News Collection, Chicago History Museum, circa 1922
5. Cicero Town Hall historical photo
An exterior shot of the town hall from the early 1920s.
— Submitted December 15, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois.
Photographed by Sean Flynn, December 15, 2023
6. Cicero's current municipal building
At the corner of 49th Avenue and Cermak Road (22nd Street) about a half-mile due north of the old town hall, Cicero's new municipal building was erected in 2008.
Chicago Daily News Collection, Chicago History Museum, circa 1928
7. Joseph Klenha, Cicero's mayor in the 1920s
Joseph Klenha was mayor of Cicero during the Al Capone era and sought his help to secure his election. According to legend, Capone once lost his temper at Klenha and slapped him down the steps of the town hall.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 1, 2026. It was originally submitted on December 15, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. This page has been viewed 1,902 times since then and 324 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on December 15, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 4. submitted on June 22, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 5. submitted on February 10, 2026, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 6. submitted on December 15, 2023, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. 7. submitted on April 10, 2024, by Sean P. Flynn of Oak Park, Illinois. • Devry Becker Jones was the editor who published this page.
