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From the History
of the New York City Police Department The foundation stone of the City Hall was laid on September 26th, 1803, during the mayoralty
of Edward Livingstone. It was finished in 1812, at an expense of half a million dollars.
The building is of a square form, two
stories in height, besides a basement story. It has a wing at each end, projecting from the front, and in the centre the roof
is elevated to form an attic story. The whole length of the building is two hundred and sixteen feet, the breadth one hundred
and five feet, and the height fifty-one feet. Including the attic story, it is sixty-five feet in height. The front and both
ends, above the basement story, are built of native while marble, from Stockbridge, Massachusetts; and the rest of the building
is constructed of brown freestone. The roof is covered with copper, and there is balustrade of marble entirely around the
top. Rising from the middle of the roof is a cupola, on which is placed a colossal figure of Justice, holding in her right
hand which rests on her forehead, a balance; and in her left, a sword pointing to the ground. The first story, including the
portico, is of the Ionic, the second of the Corinthian, the attic of the Fancy, and the cupola of the composite order. The
first design was that the whole should be built of marble, but marble was high, the city fathers were economical, and it was
desirable to make a saving. On that account, and it being maintained that the population would never, to any extent, settle
above Chambers Street, and therefore, as the rear of the hall would not come into public view, it was concluded to build this
portion of the edifice with red freestone. This accounts of the difference between the front and rear. What a commentary on
the phenomenal growth of the city.
Source: Our Police Protectors Holice and Debbie
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