Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1873-05-14
OUR OLD CITY HALL.
Omcial Report Of the Government
Appraisers.
seyenty.fiye Thousand Dollars to BE-
Paid for the Building by
the United states.

The following is the report of the appraisers
Messrs. NJ. ID. Leggett, George 5. Gideon, and
A. A. Hosmer- appointed by the Secretary OF
the Interior to determine the amount to be paid
by the United States to the District of Columbia
for the interest of the latter in the City Hall
building of Washington:
DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR, !
WASHINGTON, ID. c., May 6, 1873.
In pursuance of an act of Congress of March
Sd, 1873, the undersigned, duly selected by the
Secretary of the Interior as appraisers for the
purpose, and having been duly sworn to the
faithful and impartial discharge of our duties,
do hereby report and determine seventy-tve
thousand dollars 1915, 00O) as the sum to be paid
by the United States for the purchase of the
interest of the District of Columbia in the
present City Hall building in Washington, now
used solely for government purposes.
THE HISTORY OF THE CITY HALL
building, as gathered from the acts of Congress
and the ordinances and other records Of the city
of Washington, is briefly as follows:
By acts of Congress of May 4th, 1872, e Stat
s26, sec. g. and May 10Th, $50 Stat. 5ss. sec.
lied to raise money by lotteries for the support
Of schools and the erection Of a penitentiary
and a city hall. Under these acts the city coun
ellis by various laws, from 1872 TO 1918, author
lied the raising OF $3.50, 900. April and 4, 1870,
provision was made by the councils, with the
approval of President Monroe, given June s,
square, at an estimated cost Of 500 900. The
city hall was so erected, and various appropri-
atiOns therefor were made by the city councils
amounting to 81 sSsss The expenditures ' Sy
the corporation Of Washington in improve
ments and additions to the original building, in
accordance with numerous acts of the city
councils, have amounted (including $500 ap-
prOpriated by Congress, hereafter mentioned, }
to S4i, 50.
Under acts of councils from 1923 to 1871 there
appears to have been expended by the corpo-
ration Of Washington, ter repairs of the city
hall building, IS, 243. 25; for fitting up and fur
nishing buildings, S2l 1871; for care of build
ings and grounds, s5,96l3s; for contingencies,
fuel lights, &c, S13, 102. so; making the actual
cost of the bailding slO7 ,64l.i0 the expenses of
fitting and furnishing, S2I ,1I5.71, and the care
and expenses incident to the use of the build
ing, SIS, 0141s-a total of expenditures by the
corporation of Washington, as stated in the
memorial of the Governor and Board of Public
Works TO Congress, dated Jan. 9, 1873, (Senate
Mis-. Doc. No. "a, AID Cong, third session. Of
Sl4S, i5I.29.
BY acts of Congress of October 5, 1922, March
3. 1873, and October 5, 1882, and an act OF the
city councils of March q, 1923, provision was
made for the use of the eastern portion Of the
city hall building by the circut court of the
United States and its officers, and for its rec
Ords; and by deed of April pc, 1898, the corpo-
ration OF Washington conveyed To the United
States the chambers or rooms necessary for this
purpose.
By act of Congress of March Sd, 1919, CHI. 100
and act of the councils OF May LIST, 1919, pro-
vision was made for the use by the criminal
court of the United States for the District of
Columbia of the city councils rooms I'm the
west wing of the city hall; not, however, to in
terfere with the meetings of the Common Coun-
Gil of the city.
In the above act of Congress of March Sd
1879, $4,000 is appropriated to reimburse the
corporation of Washington the cost of erecting
the half Of the city hall building occupied by
the United States, the same to be expended by
the corporation in finishing the exterior of the
building.
At the time Of the organization of the pres
ent governments of the District, under the or
ganic act of Congress of February 2lst, IL. q,
the United States occupied the whole east half
of the building and a large portion of the west
half. The District government arranged for
accommodation elsewhere, and the United
States have been, and now are, the sole occu
pants OF the building.
[Signatures Of the appraisers.l