New York City Hall
City Hall | |
New York City Landmark No. 0080, 0916 | |
Georgian Revival | |
NRHP reference No. | 66000539 |
---|---|
NYSRHP No. | 06101.000408 |
NYCL No. | 0080, 0916 |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966[4] |
Designated NHL | December 19, 1960[5] |
Designated NYSRHP | June 23, 1980[3] |
Designated NYCL | exterior: February 1, 1966 interior: January 17, 1976 |
New York City Hall is the
New York City Hall is a National Historic Landmark and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.[5][7][8] The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission designated both City Hall's exterior and interior as official city landmarks in 1966 and 1976, respectively.[2]
History
17th century
New Amsterdam's first City Hall was built by the Dutch Republic in the 17th century near present-day 73 Pearl Street.[9] The first structure was demolished in 1690.
18th century
The city's second City Hall, built in 1700, stood on
Plans for building a new City Hall were discussed by the New York City Council as early as 1776, but the financial strains of the war delayed progress. The Council chose a site at the old Common at the northern limits of the city, now City Hall Park. City Hall was originally an area for the first almshouse in 1653. In 1736, there was a financed almshouse for those who were fit to work, for the unfit, and those that were like criminals but were paupers.[10]
19th century
In 1802, New York City held a competition for a new City Hall. The first prize of $350 was awarded to
The cornerstone of the new City Hall was laid on May 26, 1803.[11] Construction was delayed after the City Council objected that the design was too extravagant. In response, McComb reduced the size of the building and used brownstone at the rear of the building to lower costs. The brownstone, along with the original deteriorated Massachusetts marble facade, quarried from Alford, Massachusetts, was later replaced with Alabama limestone between 1954[12] and 1956. Labor disputes and an outbreak of yellow fever further slowed construction. The building was not dedicated until 1811, and opened officially in 1812.
The New York City Police riot occurred in front of New York City Hall between the recently dissolved New York Municipal Police and the newly formed Metropolitan Police on June 16, 1857. Municipal police fought with Metropolitan officers who were attempting to arrest New York City Mayor Fernando Wood.
20th and 21st centuries
In 1953, the city's public works commissioner Frederick H. Zurmuhlen requested $2.2 million to repair City Hall's facade, which was crumbling.[13]
On July 23, 2003, at 2:08 p.m., City Hall was the scene of a rare political assassination.
In 2008, work began on a restoration of the building, after a century without a major renovation. The construction included structural enhancements, upgrades to building services, as well as in-depth restoration of much of the interior and exterior. Due to the complexity of the demands of the project, the New York City Department of Design and Construction hired Hill International to provide construction management. Renovations were originally estimated to cost $104 million and take four years, but ended up costing nearly $150 million and taking over five years.[15][16]
Architecture
Although Mangin and McComb designed the building, which was constructed between 1810 and 1812, it has been altered numerous times over the years by several architects:[1]: 69 [2]
- 1860: Leopold Eidlitz
- 1898: John H. Duncan
- 1903: William Martin Aiken
- 1907, 1912, 1915, 1917: Grosvenor Atterbury
- 1956: Shreve, Lamb & Harmon
- 1998: Cabrera Barricklo
The architectural style of City Hall combines international architectural influences,
Exterior
The building consists of a central pavilion with two projecting wings. The entrance, reached by a long flight of steps, has figured prominently in civic events for over a century and a half. There is a columned entrance portico capped by a
The steps of City Hall frequently provide a backdrop for political demonstrations and press conferences concerning city politics. Live, unedited coverage of events at City Hall is carried on NYC Media channel 74, a City
Fencing surrounds the building's perimeter, with a strong security presence by the New York City Police Department and other security. Public access to the building is restricted to tours and to those with specific business appointments.
Interior
On the inside, the rotunda is a soaring space with a grand marble stairway rising up to the second floor, where ten fluted Corinthian columns support the coffered dome, which was added in a 1912 restoration by
There are 108 paintings from the late 18th century through the 20th century, which The New York Times declared were "almost unrivaled as an ensemble, with several masterpieces".[18] Among the collection is John Trumbull's 1805 portrait of Alexander Hamilton, the source of the face on the United States ten-dollar bill. There were significant efforts to restore the paintings in the 1920s and 1940s. In 2006, a new restoration campaign began for 47 paintings identified by the Art Commission as highest in priority.
Official receptions are held in the Governor's Room, which has hosted many dignitaries including the
Other notable rooms include:
- The Outer Room is adjacent to the traditional Mayor's office, which is a small space on the northwest corner of the first floor
- The Ceremonial Room is where the mayor would meet officials and hold small group meetings
- The Blue Room is where New York City mayors have been giving official press conferences for decades and is often used for bill-signing ceremonies
- Room 9 is the press room at City Hall where reporters file stories in cramped quarters
Surroundings
Neighborhood
The area around City Hall is commonly referred to as the
Subway stations
Located directly under City Hall Park is the former
Another station named
Other nearby, open subway stations are
As a geographic center
Google Maps uses New York City Hall as the zero-mile point from which distances from New York City are measured.[28]
In popular culture
New York City Hall is featured in the following films, television shows, and songs:
- 2016: The film Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, part of J. K. Rowling's Wizarding World, Senator Henry Shaw, played by Josh Cowdery, holds a fundraising dinner at New York City Hall for his re-election. The dinner is later disrupted by a magical force that attacks him while he is delivering a speech. St George's Hall, in Liverpool, stands in for the City Hall in the movie's interior and exterior scenes.
New York City Hall has played a central role in several films and television series. Examples include:
- 1996 to 2002: Spin City a television series set in New York City Hall starring Michael J. Fox as New York City's deputy mayor making efforts to stop the dim-witted mayor from embarrassing himself in front of the media and voters.
- 1996: City Hall, a movie starring Al Pacino as an idealistic New York City mayor and John Cusack as his deputy mayor, who leads an investigation with unexpectedly far-reaching consequences into an accidental shooting.
- 1984: In the movie Ghostbusters, the New York City mayor summons the protagonists to City Hall to discuss the impending end of the world.
- 1937: The folk song "The Irish Rover", performed by The Clancy Brothers, The Pogues, and The Dubliners, references New York City Hall in its lyrics:
In the year of our Lord, eighteen hundred and six,
We set sail from the Coal Quay of Cork
We were sailing away with a cargo of bricks
For the grand City Hall in New York
See also
- City Hall Post Office and Courthouse (New York City)—formerly located in the southwest corner of the park
- Gracie Mansion
- List of New York City borough halls and municipal buildings
- List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Manhattan below 14th Street
- National Historic Landmarks in New York City
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Manhattan below 14th Street
References
- ^ ISBN 978-0-8129-3107-5.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-470-28963-1.
- ^ "Cultural Resource Information System (CRIS)". New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. November 7, 2014. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
- ^ a b "City Hall (New York)". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. September 10, 2007. Archived from the original on November 5, 2013. Retrieved March 8, 2010.
- ^ Michael M. Grynbaum (May 24, 2012). "The Reporters of City Hall Return to Their Old Perch". The New York Times. Archived from the original on June 25, 2017. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
- ^ Shedd, Charles E. Jr. (October 28, 1959). "National Survey of Historic Sites and Buildings: New York City Hall". National Park Service.
- ^ "Mr. Bloomberg, Perth Amboy Begs to Differ" Archived September 28, 2018, at the Wayback Machine, The New York Times (July 24, 2007). Accessed October 11, 2011
- ^ "Public Tours: City Hall Sites and the Common" Archived June 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine on "NYCDesign", the Public Design Commission of the City of New York website
- ISBN 9780300114652– via Second Edition.
- ^ "City Hall Park Highlights : NYC Parks". www.nycgovparks.org. Archived from the original on April 21, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2015.
- ^ "New York City Hall Tours | Free Tours by Foot". Free Tours by Foot. Archived from the original on March 16, 2021. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
- ^ "Repair of Manhattan Bridge And City Hall Termed Urgent". The New York Times. August 18, 1953. Retrieved January 15, 2024; "Manhattan Bridge, City Hall Repair Funds Requested". The Brooklyn Daily Eagle. August 18, 1953. p. 3. Retrieved January 15, 2024.
- ^ Kolker, Robert (August 4, 2003). "Killer Competition". New York. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- ^ "New York City Hall Rehabilitation". ENR New York. No. November 11, 2013. November 7, 2013. Archived from the original on September 6, 2015. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ Roberts, Sam (November 8, 2013). "As City Hall Changes Hands, Construction Will Go On". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved July 22, 2015.
- ^ ISBN 978-1131638560.
- ^ Dunlap, David W. (December 6, 2006). "In New York, Taking Years Off the Old, Famous Faces Adorning City Hall". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 2, 2013. Retrieved August 7, 2010.
- New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications. Archivedfrom the original on May 24, 2015. Retrieved March 20, 2020.
- ^ "About Pace University - Directions To All Campuses - New York City Campus - PACE UNIVERSITY". www.pace.edu. Archived from the original on August 24, 2013. Retrieved April 25, 2013.
- (PDF) from the original on September 18, 2018. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ "Interborough Rapid Transit System, Underground Interior" (PDF). New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission. October 23, 1979. pp. 5–6. Archived (PDF) from the original on September 21, 2020. Retrieved November 19, 2019.
- from the original on March 1, 2018. Retrieved May 30, 2010.
- ^ Cuza, Bobby (March 6, 2007). "See A Glimpse Of NYC History For The Price Of A Subway Ride". NY1. Archived from the original on January 30, 2013. Retrieved November 15, 2009.
- ^ "MTA Neighborhood Maps: Lower Manhattan" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. 2015. Retrieved October 1, 2018.
- (PDF) from the original on August 31, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
- ^ "Subway Map" (PDF). Metropolitan Transportation Authority. September 2021. Retrieved September 17, 2021.
- ^ Garlock, Stephanie (June 27, 2014). "The Sign Says You've Got 72 Miles to Go Before the End of Your Road Trip. It's Lying". Bloomberg. Archived from the original on January 27, 2017. Retrieved June 7, 2020.
External links
- New York Architecture Images- City Hall (and City Hall Subway Station)
- Archaeological Institute of America The City Hall Park Project Archaeology, February 12, 2007.
- "'Drawn By New York' At The New-York Historical Society" on the Antiques and the Arts Online website