The City conspicuous edifice, supe rior in splendour and extent to any other in the United States, excepting the capitol in Washington, is situate in that noble public walk the park. Its foundation was laid in May 1803 and the entire structure completed in May 1812, at the cost of five hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The building is two hundred and sixteen feet in front, by one hun dred and five on the east and west fronts, and is ad dorned with two orders of architecture, the Ionic and Corinthian, raised en a rustic basement of nine feet in height, crowned with a balustrade, and the roof covered with copper. The centre part of the south front is finished with an attic story. On the blocking course above the attic cornice it is in tended to place the arms of the city, agreeably to a design and model of the architect. The cupola is surmounted by the figure of justice. The base ment story is rusticated and partly sunk; it is raised nine feet above the surface of the Park, and contains accommodations for the city watch, house-keeper, and a number of different offices. In front a terrace walk is raised three steps above the Park, from which you ascend by eleven steps to the colonnade of eight Ionic columns in front, covered with an entablature, and finished with a balustrade which forms a spacious balcony in front. You then enter into the vestibule; a corridore running longitudi nally communicates with the mayor's offices, two private stairs, and with various offices in which the city business is transacted. Opposite the vesti bule is a large circular marble staircase of thirty one steps, leading to the second floor; on the wall surrounding these stairs on the second floor stands a circular range of marble columns of the Corin thian order, the entablature of which supports the dome and sky-light. Very recently a clock has been fitted up in the cupola, which is lighted at night with gas. A circular corridore communi cating with one running lengthwise of the building leads to the room for the governor of the state, the common council chambers, three court rooms, and with several offices and jury rooms. The whole plan is so arranged as to be easy of access. The south, cast, and west elevations are composed of handsome white marble, brought from the quarries in Ilerkeshire county, Massachusetts. The north part is built with brown stone, from a parsimonious fear the building committee entertained that the white stone might be too expensive. The architect was John M'Comb, Esq., but it may be added that the sculpture and carved work were executed by and under the direction of Mr. John Lemaire. The governor's room and the room of the city council are enriched with many superior paintings, of the several governors of the state, the mayors of the city, and other public characters, executed by the pencil of Trumbull, Vanderlyne, Jarvis, Sr.c.
The Merchant's Exchange was commenced on the 1st of April 1825, and opened for business in May 1827. It stands on Wall street, and runs through to Garden street, a distance of about 150 feet. The principal Front, which is on Wall street, is 115 feet wide, and that on Garden street, 114 feet. The general divisions of the plan are a building of parallellogramic form on both streets, connected by one of similar form, with circular ends, which form the exchange room, and which is thus rendered accessible from both streets. Since the erection of the building, however, a street has been opened on the lower side, which, not having been foreseen at the time of designing the plan, the architect was unable to avail himself of, to present a more finished appearance on that side than at present. The front on Wall street is built entirely
of white marble from the quarries in \Vest Chester, and is three stories high, exclusive of a basement, which is half out of ground. The front has been designed in the Ionic order, from the temple of Minerva Polias, at Priene, and an elliptical recessed portico has been introduced with great advantage, both as regards effect and convenience. A screen of four large columns and two anti on the corners of the wings extends across the front of the recess in a line with the front of the building. These columns are thirty feet in height and three feet four inches in diameter at the base, and the stay of each is composed of a single block of marble. The columns support an entablature which runs across the whole front, on which rests an attic story, making a height of about sixty feet from the ground. The entrance on Wall street is by a flight of broad marble steps flanked on each end by a pedestal. From the portico three doors open into the vesti bule, and one on each hand into insurance offices. The vestibule is nearly square, and is finished in the chaste and elegant style of the little Ionic temple on the banks of the Illysus in Athens. From the ves tibule an elliptical staircase rises on the right hand, to lead to the different stories of the front building. Advancing through the vestibule you enter the grand saloon or exchange room, which is a magnifi cent apartment eighty-five feet long, fifty-five wide, and forty-five feet high, finished in the Ionic order after the temple of Minerva Polias at Athens. The spacious and lofty apartment has two parallel sides with semicircular ends, at the intersections of which are anti and columns supporting a full entab lature, with an arch resting on the columns at each end. The arches support a screen which forms a separation between the arched ceiling of the centre and the Ionic ceilings of the alcoves, and divides the whole into three compartments, producing a pleasing variety. The whole of the ceiling is di vided into pannels; those of the centre being of an oblong rectangle, and those of the ends radiating from a centre. Passing through the exchange we enter an apartment, or rather vestibule, appro priated for sales by auction of ships and real estate, &c. On both sides of this vestibule are rooms oc cupied as offices, and a stairway leads to the base ment below and to the second story. Here is a spacious room appropriated to the Board of Bro kers, and to the Chamber of Commerce. On the right of this vestibule is the spacious reading room, which is furnished with the periodicals and daily journals, foreign and domestic, for the use of strangers and citizens. From the third story we ascend to the observatory on the upper section of the cupalo. The cupalo is 24 feet in diameter. The basement has superior accommodations for the post-office establishment, and offices occupied by brokers, newspapers, &c. For the plan and execu tion of this admirable building the city is indebted to Martin E. Thompson, architect.
Masonic recently erected building is situate in Broadway, and nearly opposite the city hospital. It is fifty-seven feet front, ninety feet in depth, and three stories high. The front is faced with granite, and the interior, which is divided into several convenient apartments, possesses on the second floor one spacious hall the full size of the edifice, and finished after the rich, florid style of Henry VI1.'s chapel. It is the largest hall in the city. Architect, Hugh Reinagle.