ON FEBRUARY 22ND, 1926, 3000 PEOPLE POURED INTO THE BRAND [00:00:05] NEW WHITE PLAINS MUNICIPAL BUILDING FOR A FESTIVE DEDICATION THAT INCLUDED A SCHOOL BAND, CHOIR, SINGING PRAYERS, TOURS AND SPEECHES. THE PEOPLE OF WHITE PLAINS HAD NEARLY TWO AND A HALF CENTURIES OF GROWTH AND PROGRESS TO CELEBRATE. IT ALL STARTED ON NOVEMBER 22ND, 1683, WHEN THE WEEK OF SAC SOLD 4435 ACRES OF STREAMS, SMALL LAKES AND ROLLING WOODLANDS TO SOME NEW ENGLANDERS RECENTLY SETTLED IN RYE. THE WEAKER SAC HAD CALLED THE LAND COCOPAH FOR THE FOG THAT OFTEN HUNG ABOVE THE SWAMP LANDS. THE NEW OWNERS OF THIS SEVEN SQUARE MILE TRACK ADOPTED THE ENGLISH TRANSLATION AND NAMED IT WHITE PLAINS. THEN THERE WAS THE ROYAL PATENT GRANTED BY KING GEORGE, THE FIRST OF ENGLAND, IN 1721. THE 1759 ESTABLISHMENT OF A COURTHOUSE FOR WESTCHESTER COUNTY IN WHITE PLAINS FROM WHAT IS NOW THE BRONX, MAKING WHITE PLAINS THE DE FACTO COUNTY SEAT. THE MOMENTOUS EVENTS OF 1776, WHEN THE TINY VILLAGE BECAME THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK AND THE SITE OF A KEY BATTLE IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR. THE DESIGNATION OF WHITE PLAINS AS A TOWN IN 1788, WITH ABOUT 500 RESIDENTS. THE COMING OF THE RAILROAD IN 1844, WHICH GRADUALLY SHIFTED THE CENTER OF GRAVITY OF THE COMMUNITY FROM VILLAGE STREET, NOW NORTH BROADWAY, DOWN RAILROAD AVENUE, NOW MAIN STREET, TOWARD THE TRACKS BY THE BRONX RIVER. THE POPULATION OF WHITE PLAINS GREW MORE THAN SIXFOLD IN THE 30 YEARS BETWEEN 1880 AND 1910, INCREASING FROM 2381 TO 15,081 AS FARMS GAVE WAY TO HOUSING FOR COMMUTERS AND THE VILLAGE BECAME A REGIONAL SHOPPING BUSINESS AND LEGAL HUB. AS A RESULT, IN 1910, THE VILLAGE PETITIONED THE STATE TO BECOME A CITY, AND FIVE YEARS LATER, ON APRIL 26TH, 1915, NEW YORK STATE GOVERNOR CHARLES S WHITMAN APPROVED THE CITY'S INCORPORATION ON JANUARY 1ST, 1916. THE VILLAGE AND TOWN OF WHITE PLAINS, ALONG WITH THE BATTLE HILL SECTION THAT HAD BEEN IN THE TOWN OF GREENBERG, BECAME THE CITY OF WHITE PLAINS. FORMER VILLAGE CLERK, POSTMASTER, SCHOOL COMMISSIONER, AND SUPERVISOR FARRINGTON THOMPSON WAS ELECTED MAYOR. HERE HE IS WITH THE FIRST COMMON COUNCIL AND KEY STAFF AT A CELEBRATION DINNER. NOW, WHITE PLAINS WAS A CITY, BUT IT HAD NO CITY HALL. THE NEW COMMON COUNCIL MEETING IN RENTED SPACE IN THE REALTY BUILDING ON MAIN STREET, BEGAN DEVELOPING PLANS FOR A MUNICIPAL BUILDING. THESE PLANS GAINED MOMENTUM WHEN, TWO MONTHS AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF WORLD WAR ONE, THE CITY COUNCIL CREATED A COMMITTEE THAT CONCLUDED THAT A FITTING MEMORIAL WOULD BE A MUNICIPAL BUILDING ERECTED AND DEDICATED IN HONOR OF THE MEN OF WHITE PLAINS WHO HAVE THUS SERVED THEIR COUNTRY. AFTER CONSIDERING A SITE ON THE CORNER OF MAMARONECK AND MARTIN. THE CITY PURCHASED THE 1870S HOMES OF TWO LEADING CITIZENS, J. MALCOLM SMITH AND GILBERT LYONS, ON RAILROAD AVENUE OPPOSITE THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL, AND CREATED A NEARLY TWO ACRE RECTANGLE PLOT ON WHICH TO ERECT THE MUNICIPAL BUILDING AND TO DESIGN IT. THE CITY COUNCIL HIRED ARCHITECT J.R. FRIEDLANDER. FRIEDLANDER, A NATIVE NEW YORKER EDUCATED AT MIT, WAS ONE OF THE FEW AMERICANS WHO HAD GRADUATED FROM THE ECOLE DES BEAUX-ARTS IN PARIS. HE WAS A LEADING PRACTITIONER OF THE BAUHAUS STYLE OF ARCHITECTURE, POPULAR WORLDWIDE FROM 1885 TO 1930, THAT EMPHASIZED SYMMETRY AND COMBINED CLASSICAL DETAILS LIKE COLUMNS AND PEDIMENTS WITH ELABORATE ORNAMENTATION AND LARGE SCALE. BEFORE WORKING ON THE WHITE PLAINS MUNICIPAL BUILDING, FREELANDER WAS RENOWNED FOR HIS DESIGNS FOR THE NEW QUARTERS FOR THE SAINT LOUIS CLUB, THE NATIONAL HOME FOR DISABLED SOLDIERS IN JOHNSON CITY, TENNESSEE, AND HARLEM HOSPITAL IN NEW YORK CITY. THE STYLE WAS PARTICULARLY FITTING, SINCE THE NEW CITY HALL WOULD BE JUST A FEW BLOCKS EAST OF THE CLASSICAL WESTCHESTER COUNTY COURTHOUSE THAT HAD OPENED IN 1915, AND JUST DOWN MAIN STREET AT THE SITE LATER OCCUPIED BY ANNE'S AND THEN MACY'S IN THE GALLERIA. AFTER CREATING THE WHITE PLAINS MUNICIPAL BUILDING, FREELANDER WENT ON TO DESIGN MANY OTHER NOTABLE BUILDINGS, INCLUDING THE MUSEUM OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. FREELANDER, DESIGNED FOR THE WHITE PLAINS CITY HALL, CALLED [00:05:04] FOR A FOUR STOREY, 30 ZERO ZERO ZERO SQUARE FOOT CLASSICAL BUILDING, REFLECTING, AS THE DAILY REPORTER WROTE AT THE TIME, AT ONCE BEAUTY, STRENGTH AND UTILITY. THE WELL-KNOWN JOHN O'ROURKE AND SON CONSTRUCTION FIRM, WHICH HAD ALREADY BUILT THE NEW HIGH SCHOOL, EASTVIEW SCHOOL AND THE WHITE PLAINS YMCA, WAS HIRED TO OVERSEE CONSTRUCTION OF CITY HALL. SITE PREPARATION BEGAN IN OCTOBER 1924 AND CONSTRUCTION CONTINUED FOR 17 MONTHS. MADE WITH A STEEL STRUCTURE SO THAT LOAD BEARING WALLS WERE UNNECESSARY, THE BUILDING WAS ORIGINALLY HEATED BY COAL, AND SINCE ELECTRICITY WAS STILL SOMEWHAT UNRELIABLE, THERE WAS A BACKUP GAS LIGHTING SYSTEM. WHEN A CROWD ESTIMATED AT 3000 ATTENDED THE INAUGURAL CEREMONY FOR THE NEW CITY HALL ON FEBRUARY 22ND, 1926, THEY DISCOVERED WIDE STONE STAIRS CLIMBING FROM THE CURB TO THE MAIN FLOOR, ALMOST 15FT ABOVE STREET LEVEL, A FACADE ADORNED WITH EIGHT 25FT HIGH IONIC COLUMNS AND EIGHT BALCONIES WITH WROUGHT IRON RAILINGS AND BANISTERS. A SPACIOUS VESTIBULE LINED WITH BOTH WHITE AND BLACK MARBLE AND PANELLED WITH EIGHT PILASTERS. THE ARCHITECTURAL HIGHLIGHT OF THE BUILDING WAS A GRAND CIRCULAR STAIRCASE THAT RISES MAJESTICALLY FROM THE FIRST TO THE THIRD FLOORS AND CREATES A MAGNIFICENT ROTUNDA MORE THAN 50FT HIGH, CAPPED WITH DECORATIVE SKYLIGHT. ON TOURS OF THE BUILDING, THE RESIDENTS MUST HAVE MARVELED AT THE 100 ZERO SQUARE FOOT COUNCIL CHAMBER, DECORATED THEN IN APPLE GREEN AND WOOD PANELING ON THE SECOND FLOOR OVERLOOKING MAIN STREET. THEY ALSO TOURED THE CITY COURT, LOCATED ON THE SECOND FLOOR IN THE NORTHWEST CORNER, WITH SEPARATE ROOMS FOR THE JUDGE, THE COURT CLERK, AND FOR PRISONERS. THE BOARD OF EDUCATION ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICES WERE ALSO LOCATED ON THE THIRD FLOOR OF CITY HALL. THE BUILDING WAS DESIGNED TO ACCOMMODATE NEARLY ALL CITY ADMINISTRATIVE UNITS, AND ALTHOUGH THE CITY HAS EXPANDED GREATLY, MANY OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS THE MAYOR'S OFFICE, THE COMMON COUNCIL, THE CITY CLERK, AND FINANCE, LAW, PUBLIC WORKS AND PERSONNEL DEPARTMENTS ARE STILL HEADQUARTERED IN THE SAME SPACES THEY OCCUPIED A CENTURY AGO. A TWO STOREY, 8000 FOOT ANNEX WAS CONSTRUCTED AT THE SAME TIME, JUST BEHIND CITY HALL, TO HOUSE THE WHITE PLAINS POLICE DEPARTMENT. IT IS NOW HOME TO THE PARKING BUREAU. OVER THE YEARS, CITY HALL HAS CONTINUED TO FULFILL ITS ORIGINAL PURPOSE AS A MEMORIAL TO WHITE PLAINS RESIDENTS WHO HAVE BRAVELY FOUGHT FOR OUR NATION. PHOTOS OF 28 OF WHITE PLAINS RESIDENTS WHO DIED IN WORLD WAR ONE ARE DISPLAYED TO THIS DAY ON THE SECOND FLOOR. PLAQUES AND MONUMENTS IN THE VESTIBULE AND ROTUNDA HONOR MANY OF THE WHITE PLAINS RESIDENTS WHO HAVE SERVED OUR NATION IN THE REVOLUTIONARY WAR, THE CIVIL WAR, WORLD WAR ONE AND TWO, KOREA AND VIETNAM. CITY HALL HAS ALSO WITNESSED HUNDREDS OF PARADES AND CEREMONIES. PERHAPS THE GRANDEST BEING THE 1933 PARADE MARKING THE 250TH ANNIVERSARY OF THAT 1683 LAND PURCHASE, WHEN PRESIDENT FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT DROVE UP MAIN STREET TO THE DELIGHT OF THOUSANDS, AND STOPPED IN FRONT OF CITY HALL TO TALK WITH CITY OFFICIALS. CITY HALL HAS BEEN USED AS A MOVIE SET AND HOSTED COUNTLESS EVENTS AND VISITORS, INCLUDING A CAMPAIGN STOP BOTH INSIDE AND OUT BY PRESIDENT GERALD FORD IN 1976. AFTER 100 YEARS, CITY HALL CONTINUES AS A LIVING MEMORIAL TO THOSE THOUSANDS OF RESIDENTS WHO FOUGHT FOR OUR NATION AND AS THE VIBRANT SEAT OF GOVERNMENT FOR THE 63,000 PEOPLE WHO TODAY LIVE IN WHITE PLAINS. * This transcript was compiled from uncorrected Closed Captioning.