New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-12

= prison, debtors prison, registers Office
and lastly as the Hall of Records, was
erected just east of the almshouse. TO
| the west of the first almshouse and on
the present site of City Hall the Common
! Council in 1776 built the Bridewell. which
/ was also used as a prison for American
soldiers during the Revolution. In the
| same year the "gaol" was erected mill
/ tary barracks were built Oh the south
! side OF the present Chambers street, and
during the Revolution, to accommodate
! the increased number Of the Kings
troops, two other long buildings were
erected between the Bridewell and the
/ original barracks on Chambers street
/ None of these buildings compared. Of
/ course, either I'm size or dignity with the
/ proposed City Hall. plans for which the
! citizens began to agitate as early as 800
, The city government was then quartered
! in the old Federal Building tstill stand
| ing at the head Of Broad street. and, In
the pride of a rapidly growing city, the
! Common Council on March "A Of this year
passed a resolution authorizing certain OF
! it's members to report their opinion on
| the expedency of erecting new CITY
Hall and also 'the proper place, plan
4
Of the building, an estimate OF the cost
, and in what manner the present CITY
| Hail ought 10 be disposed Of" Two and
half years later, March. 1903, the city
| fathers accepted the plan Of Mangin d
McComb for the new building, ana
awarded the architects a bonus OF $50;
then, almost In the same breath, alarmed
at the size of the task confronting them
! directed the architects to reduce the pro-
portions of the building This was done,
and ground broken for the structure IN
| the early summer OF the same year.
THE ARCHITECT.
John McComb, the junior member OF
the firm who drew the plans. was chosen
architect TO superlntend the construction
of the building. which work extended over
a period OF about ten years. Mr.. McComo
was born in New York from family OF
Scotch origin, who first settled In Mary
land and later moved to Manhattan, ana
IL is from the precise daily journal OF TINS
extremely able man that we find many
of the details Of the building of City Han.
Not only did he keep diary, but an
account book of great accuracy and neat
ness. also what he called his Marble
Book" each one mint OF interesting
information, observation and Illuminating
remarks.
The diary gives the date Of the laying
of the cornerstone as May 26, 1903, under
the discharge Of seventeen cannon from
John Stevens regiment OF artillery, and
directly following. 'al the builders
supped with part of the corporation at
the almshouse, had an excellent supper
and plenty Of good wine. We stayed until
1 O'Clock a. IN.
CITY Hall, In fact remains as much
monument to the integrity, business abil-
,,v and artistic merit OF John McComb
o. Il does to the style and architecture
90 that period. 1t was McComb who in
suced the city Fathers to restore the
building to its original length Of 20 feet
inches. and IT was McComb who adj
yanced his own money repeatedly to pay
for materials and for the time OF the
labor of the artisans employed.
In the beginning 1t was decided 10 con-
struct the building of brown stone ana
the Council sent McComb to Newark
where he bought a brown stone quarry