The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1861-12-27
THE NEW COURT HOUSE.
Interesting Ceremonies on Lay
ing the Corner Stone.
DESCRIPTION OF TIE BUILDING.
Addresses by Mayor Wood, Chief Justice
Clerke and Mr.. Supervisor Stewart,

the corncr stone OF this odhce was laid YESTERDAY az
ternooa. at halfpas two O'Clock, in tho presence of
number oil spectators. short time previously the Com
mssioners experimenting the structure, those who
had been invited partako the ceremonies assembled
in the partmens used by the Board OF Supervisors for
tner 3 ocecdings, and forming procession soon after
wards appeared on tho ground The procession was
headed by Wilson G. Hunt, Esq, President OF tho
Board OF Commissioners, and his Honor the
| Mayor. Next 70 lowed Commissioner John b. Coriiss
and Rev. Gardiner Spring. Then came Com
missioner James Salmon and Hon. 7. W. Cle-ke
Chief Justice OF the Supreme Court William R. Stewart,
President OF the Board of Supervisors George OPP
| dyke Mayor elect Thomas John keum, Architect, and
other members OF tho Board The bench well repre-
sentod by Judges Sutherland Hogeboom Bosworth and
others. On the northeast OF the new building
fronting Chambers street, tho was suspended from
derrick Immediately above its Intended receptacle The
national flag noatcd from the top Of tho derrick The
speakers, invited guests aud reporters were accommo
dated with platform and tables in the immediate vicinity
of the scene of operations large body of police
| IN attendance. and preserved excellent order.
Sui oincd is description Of this building far IL
has progressed The land taken by the Commissioners
25 feet front upon Chambers street, by 200 feet south of
Chambers street. It is situated ia tue centre of this land
and 2a6 feet six inches long, and $50 feet inches
wide The first lines given to the work on
the 2Sh OF September last and the excavation
now complishcd is II 800 loads Tho site occupied
by the old building, which destroyed by fire some
years ago. Tho old walls found in the excavation waro
used for tho purpose Of manufacturing concrete, the
amount Of which under the old building amounted to
$500 cubca feet The foundation under the bottoms
ofthe walls comprised 900 cubicai feet The brick work
ad amounts to 100000 bricks During tho excavation
| the engineer found IN old we'll In the northwes.ery
corner of the building which extended the foundation
thirty four feet eight inches deep the water ard which
was built up solid and to che surface of the under side
or the foundation which is about twelve feet the
curb stone. The joints Of the cdfce are all formed with
load. caulked so that it is impossible that the frost or
| amount OF stone on hand cut, ready to be placed
on the walls, and in all probability in about
height Of the surface OF the ground. The stones
were transported from Kipps Bay Above the granite
Four hundred and fifty have been engaged on this
work since its commencement, and it must be apparent
from the labor executed that great diligence has been
used II is expected by the officials having the
erection of this Court House that it will be completed in
year from the present time The architect is Mr. Super
neerng department is snder the management Of Mr. Jas.
| 4 Sarrel
The building now proposed to be erected will be OF
white marble aud of plain, substantial archi
lecture. 1t viii be hundred and thirty nine feet long
by ono hundred and twelve fee, deop the wings each
handrcd and forty eight feet long by fifty three Deep
1ha extreme length will DO about two hundred fifty
feet and the extreme depth hundred fifty feet
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small ones The number and size Of court rooms
VIII be found on the second floor, with the addition OF
two fair sized rooms to bo used Libraries or Crane
Jury Thore win be six large rooms and four fair
sized rooms in tho basement The height of the frs.
story WIZ be feet OF the second story, twenty
feet and Of the basement, fourteen feet aud SIX inches
The extreme height Of the building from the sidewalk
the top Of the parapet will be about seventy eight feet
THE CEREMONIES.
WILSON 9. HUNT, ESQ., having called the meeting to
| order. said;-Gentemen the hour having arrived ut
which to commence theaayng of this stone, prayer will
! be offered by the Rev Dr. Spring
Tho reverend gentleman responded by appropriate
| prayer.
Mr.. Huxr then enumerated the following articles,
which were at the appropriate time to be deposited
within the corner stone, as follows:-
| Two copies Of the Holy Bible.
| Constitution Of the United States and Declaration of
Washington's Farewell Address.
| Tho Presidents Message.
Report Of the Secretary Of State
Report OF tho Secretary of the Treasury.
| Report OF the Secretary OF War.
Report Of the Secretary OF the Navy.
Report Of the Secretary Of the Interior.
| Report OF the Postmaster General.
| Constitution OF the State OF New York
Corporation Ordinances OF New York City Revised 1859
Charters Of the City o. New York from 1886 to 1857.
Laws OF the State Of New York of 1858 and 1851 autho
rizng tho Building Of this Court House.
Proceedings Of the Board Of Supervisors up 1861
Manual Of tM City Of New York for 1851
Manual OF the Board Of Education for 1861.
New York City Directory for 1861 and 1862.
Map of tho City and County OF New York.
Copies of all the New York papers including religious
| secular literary and scientific journals
Annual reports Of the Bible Society, Foreign Missions
Pay roll for December 81 containing the names of the
| employees engaged upon the building.
Map Of the United States, State and City of New York
Rabyers Plan OF the City Of New York engraved in 1906
The addresses of his Honor the Mayor, Judge Cerke
! and Supervisor Stewart
plate having engraved upon it the names OF the
Commissioners Of the New City Hall for building the Court
House, architects, superintendent, clerks, &C.
Some time elapsed in placing the stone pro
per position TO DO raised which having been accomplish.
MpyN lint nfiprpA Tho,
| by the President. and spoke as follows:-
MAYOR WOODS SPEECH.
We have assembled here to lay the etoue
of another public cdilce We propose TO accompany II
with appropriate ceremonies This custom is of ancient
origin. In the earliest agcs-indeed in advance of
Christianity and civilization devised buildings
for public uses at alt to have been the practice
1t has boon continued ever since And there is pro.
priety In 1t aside from its antiquity II gives an i'm.
porancsto the building, aud thus to extent mpars
adgnity to tho purposes for which it is intended and
when in this instance the structure is designed as
temple Of JUSTICE there peculiar necessity for cloth
| ing tho ceremony with all the solcmnty which the
the first the kind put up by the city Of
| New York. As early as l642 public hail, OF some
magnitude for the times, was erected BY the
| Dutch West India Company, at the present north
| west corner OF Pearl street and Coenties slip
Though at first used by that company for objects il
afterwards as court house. To show tho difference be-
tween the uses of City Hall in those days and this
time II may not be out OF place to add that the original
City Hall devoted to the sittngs tho bursomasers
and schepens, and for city prison The chamber occu
pep,Or Sttl1nSS OF magistrates the south
east corner OF the second story hesprson chamber
the rear bell hung in the cupoln was rung for the
assembling Of the. magistrates Tho magistrates or
judges held their fortnghthe bell ringing
for th purpose at nine O'Clock in tho mornng and
the closing at twelve o'clock for dinner At O'Clock
the sittngs resumed, il the business of the court
| made il necessary. It was Seldom however, that
! afternoon sessions were required, until a lawyer |
| named Dirck Van Schellyn arrived from Ho. |
land. when, of course, litigation largely increased.
| Judges and clients az had their bands |
full and longer sessions required Procamations
made from the front Of the hall door by ring
ing Of tho bell The building stone three stories
high and cost less than ten thousand dollars II stood
sixty years and regarded highly by the substantial
citizens Of that day tho ark Of their safety being the
sanctuary Of pure and simple justice unaduiteraed
evil influences. In tho language Of the historian sst
survived the nationality OF its founders and witnessed
generations of their descendants living under foreign
laws aud speaking foreign language within its walls"
II finally sold for nnS hundred and twenty pounds
public auction 1t gave place city hall con.
structed tho of Wall Nassau street.
opposite Broad street, where now stands the |
Custom House, This edihce commenced in |
1899 and finished in 100. II plain but |
substantial building, sufficiently large Cor the |
then purpose OF court house, and cost only |
four thousand pounds. The original estimate of its cost
was only three thousand poenls This Hall stood for
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