[3] City Hall was built in 1837–38 under the supervision of Mayor Leverett Saltonstall and a committee appointed for that purpose.

In 1837, under the administration of President Andrew Jackson, the United States Treasury held a surplus in the amount of nearly $40 million.

The building and furnishings cost approximately $22,878 and when finished, and this is perhaps one of the few municipal structures in existence paid for without taxing the citizens.

The side and rear elevations are unadorned brick while the main facade is dressed granite.

The central entrance is reached by a short flight of granite steps; a cast iron lamp on a bracket projects from above.

The tall front double doors are made of mahogany with brass studs outlining the center panels.