Historic Town Hall and Old Town High Street

Built in 1458, this historic Town Hall (inscription and coat of arms of Dieter of Ysenburg) replaced an earlier one. The imposing, stepped gable, the timber-frame storey to the east, and the stair-tower, are later additions. The large ground floor hall with octagonal pillars served as an indoor market. The upper floor above contained a banqueting hall and the council chambers. From 1495, the County Court was also in session there. The town spring, with its Gothic keel bow design, can be found on the west side and next to it in the wall, the “Town Ell”, a measuring device.

The council still meets in the upstairs chambers, but the market hall now houses the “Heuson Museum” sponsored by the History Society. The width of the street in front of the Town Hall allowed room for a street market. Some of the surrounding houses are worth mentioning: the former smithy, ”Schmiede Schmück” (Altstadt Nr.11), has all its furnishings intact; an interesting early timber-frame north wall, Nr. 6, bears the trade mark of a copper smith; and Nr. 7/9 has retained its late Gothic decorative door frame.