George Hadfield, who had supervised construction of the United States Capitol from October 1795 to May 1798,[4][5] submitted a design for a new district building, but it was judged to be too costly.

[7] To raise funds needed to finish the building, the district leased out space during construction to other federal government offices.

Circuit Court and the Recorder of Deeds office, then headed by noted black leader and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, (1818–1895), who also later served as U.S.

Following passage of the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act in 1862, the Old City Hall was used to process payments to slaveholders.

[3] In 1868, a statue of 16th President Abraham Lincoln sculpted by Lot Flannery was erected on the south side of the building, which became the first public monument in his honor.

The federal courts moved to the new E. Barrett Prettyman United States Courthouse in 1952 and the Old City Hall eventually became the headquarters of the U.S.

A new glass atrium was constructed on the north side of the building facing Judiciary Square and is now the main entrance, as had been originally intended.