New-York tribune., 1915-01-04
CITY HALL BEAUTY
IS AGAIN A REALITY
East End Of Structure Re
stored-Mr. McAneny to
Move In To-day.
OFFICES OF MAYOR
TO BE RENOVATED
Work, Helped by the Gift of Mrs.
Sage. Follows Plan OF the
Buildings Architect.

When President McAneny Of the
Board OF Aldermen opens his new
Offices at the east end Of the first floor
Of the City Hall this morning 1t will
mark the final step in the restoration
Of the city's Capitol building to its
original dignity and simplicity.
The Offices occupied by the Mayor
are i'm a somewhat dilaDidated condi-
ton and will have to be renovated and
rearranged in the spring, but 1t VIII
not be necessary TO restore their
original design, az was the case IN
other parts of the City Hall.
The Offices that President McAneny
will occupy were formerly used By the
City Clerk. They have been remodelled
along with the Office of Chairman Cur
ran of the Finance Committee Of the
Board Of Aldermen, which is on the
southeast corner of the first floor.
On the second floor the big room
formerly used by President McAneny,
which was restored by him the first
year ne was Borough President, Will
now be turned over 10 the Board of
Estimate, 20 be used as a committee
room. Colonial furniture will be pro-
vided, to be in keeping with the char
acter of the room.
Art Commission in Attic.
In addition 20 the remodelling OF
the first floor rooms for the President
Of the Board of Aldermen several
other improvements have been made
in the City Hall in the last few
months. The attic, which was former
ly occupied by the keeper of the hall,
has been made into quarters for the
Municipal Art Commission. The fur
niture there will be the gift of Robert
". de Forest, chairman of the commits
sion.
The Mayors public reception room
was done over and the approach to the
Mayors suite at the west end Of the
Iirst floor corridor. 9.
When work was begun il was found
that the wooden supports OF the floor
of the room then occupied b. Presi-
dent McAneny, just over the Mayors
reception room, had rotted to such an
extent as to be dangerous. This was
also true of the floor in the room oc-
cupied by Alderman Currsn. In some
places it was necessary 70 put in iron
beams. This increased the cost Of the
work over the original estimate, but in
spite of this, enough money has been
saved by careful management to pur-
chase new furniture for the Board Of
Estimate committee room and the
lobby Of the Mayors Offices.
The restoration of the east end OF
the first floor was carried out by
Grosvenor Atterbury, who followed
out the original designs Of John Ma
comb, the architect of the City Hall.
Standing in the rotunda of the build
ing, one finds both ends OF the east
and west corridor harmonizing com
pletely. The entrance to the lobby OF
President McAneny's Offices is the
same in appearance as that at the
Mayors end of the building.
Mrs. Sage's Gift.
The restoration Of the City Hall
began with the Governors Room. for
which $4,000 was given by Mrs. Rus
sell Sage. In the first year of Mr.. Nc
Aneny's term as Borough President
Mrs. Sage gave $4,000 for the resto-
ration of the rotunda and dome.
Next came the reclamation Of the
room, or, rather, rooms. for the origi-
nal room had been ruined by the put
ting in of a number of cheap parti-
tions, used as the Offices Of the Bor-
ough President. All who have had
dealings with President McAneny. who
has since occupied the beautiful room.
are familiar with the result of that
restoration. Many say it has made one
of the finest Colonial rooms in the
city.
Since then the Aldermanic Chamber
and the meeting room Of the Board of
Estimate have been done over. Moth
ing remains but rearrangement and
redecoration Of the Mayors Offices
and a possible rearrangement of the
rooms in the basement, which is being
considered.