Hi friends, welcome back! I’ve got the conclusion of my Lower Manhattan historical tour today ending with City Hall. I recently joined a tour provided by the city and I would highly recommend joining one if you’re visiting. The tours are the only way to go inside, City Hall is not open to the public. They are free and led by a City Hall employee with a passion for history and along with personal anecdotes. To join a tour you can check out more information here. I believe about twenty people can join a tour, but we only had ten in our group from Boston, the UK, and Spain.
Before City Hall was built in 1802 and completed in 1812, this area used to be a pasture and a commons area. It was also where George Washington gathered his troops to read them a copy of the Declaration of Independence. His reading fired up the troops so much that they marched down Broadway and tore down the statue of King George III at Bowling Green.
This is the oldest City Hall in the United States that still performs government functions. In 1858 a transatlantic wire was laid connecting the US to the UK by telegraph. To celebrate this technological achievement, New Yorkers set off a huge fireworks display. A rogue firework caught the roof on fire and caused extensive damage. The front entrance is under construction and they are fixing the thirteen steps leading up to the building, representative of the thirteen colonies. Presently, City Hall is where the mayor’s office is and home to the chambers of City Council. The large building on the right is the Manhattan Municipal Building, one of the largest government buildings in the world.
Inside the main entrance there is a sculpture of George Washington. Make sure you touch his toe for good luck.
The rotunda was my favorite part of City Hall and it was designed after the Pantheon. Abe Lincoln stood at the top of these stairs and shook everyone’s hand that stopped by after he won the election. Our guide joked it was very efficient because people could come up one side and easily go down the other.
There is a third floor that used to house an apartment for the custodian and his family, but is now used as offices.
The Governor’s room is very grand and houses Washington’s original presidential desk. You may recall that Federal Hall had a duplicate. Per City Hall’s website, “Many distinguished guests have visited the Governor’s Room, including President James Monroe, President Andrew Jackson, Marquis de Lafayette, Albert Einstein, and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The room hosted President-elect Abraham Lincoln in 1861, and served as the backdrop for his coffin in 1865 as he lay in state.” I wonder if they will update the website to say Lyssy in the City was in there too 😉
City Council Chamber was recently renovated from 2012-2015, but half of the mural is still being repaired. “The mahogany paneling and historic furniture was refinished, the walls repainted, and the balcony seating restored”. In 2003 an assassination took place in here when a political rival shot City Councilman James E. Davis from the balcony. Now everyone must pass through a metal detector before entering the grounds.
The tour lasted about two hours and it was one of my favorites I’ve taken. I enjoyed the smaller sized group, the privateness of the tour, and our guide did a great job keeping us entertained while also learning a lot. The tours are limited while the building is under construction, but I’d highly recommend joining a tour if you can! This is also only a few blocks from all the sights in my previous Lower Manhattan Tours so you could spend an afternoon in Lower Manhattan with plenty to see. I hope you’ve enjoyed this series! I had a great time learning about my neighborhood and sharing it all with you!
