90 Years Ago: Jurisdictional dispute leads to construction of Potomac Town Hall.

A long standing dispute between the Town of Potomac and the City of Alexandria over legal jurisdiction on Jefferson Davis Highway was settled in March 1925.  Town officials had posted 15 MPH signs, and the Town Sergeant was arresting motorists for excessive speed.  However, upon arrest, the motorists were being taken to the Alexandria jailhouse, leaving the impression that City officials were arresting them.  Mayor Smoot of Alexandria complained to Mayor Yates of Potomac about the practice and questioned the Town's authority to set speed limits on the highway.  On 21 March 1925, the Town Council implemented new procedures incarcerating offenders at Town Hall until they were transfered to the Arlington County jail.  The State Highway Commission subsequently upheld the Town of Potomac jursidication over offenses committed within one mile of the town limits.

By May 1925, the Town of Potomac began planning to erect a modern jail and town hall, including a fire house, offices and auditorium.  A committee began exploring options, and a bond issue was passed in a special election at the end of July 1925.  The sale of $24,000 in bonds partially funded the erection of a new town hall.  By October, the Town Council authorized architects to design the building, and ground was broken on construction in January 1926.  The Town Hall was opened in time for the June 1926 election, which passed another bond for $15,000 to clear the debts for the construction.  This election also saw Mayor Charles Adams unseated by William Kleysteuber in a hotly contested race.  The new mayor was voted into office by a margin of 18 votes.