Darien City Hall

The building now used as Darien's City Hall was built as an armory in the 1870s. It later served as a fire house, police station, community house, and is now City Hall.

In front of City Hall is a historical marker about the Burning of Darien during the Civil War. On June 11, 1863, the seaport of Darien was vandalized and burned by Federal forces stationed on nearby St. Simons Island. The town was largely deserted, most of its 500 residents having sought refuge inland. Lost were public buildings, churches, businesses and most private residences. Conducting the raid were units comprised of among the first African-American troops to serve the Union cause, the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers under Col. Robert G. Shaw, and the 2nd South Carolina Volunteers under Col. James Montgomery. The burning of Darien, undefended and of little strategic importance, was one of the most controversial events of the Civil War. The 54th Massachusetts Volunteers and the events of June 1863 were depicted in the Academy Award-winning film "Glory," starring Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, Cary Elwes and Morgan Freeman.