At the vicinity of where Independence Hall now stands, sixty-six families gathered on April 11, 1909, to conduct a lottery for plots of land in a new Jewish neighborhood, to be known as Ahuzat Bayit.

In 1910, at a general meeting, the residents of Ahuzat Bayit, inspired by Theodor Herzl's Altneuland (English: Old-New Land), unanimously decided to rename their neighborhood Tel Aviv.

[1] In 1930, after the death of his wife, Dizengoff donated his house to his beloved city of Tel Aviv and requested that it be turned into a museum.

[2] In the main hall of the building, at 4 PM on May 14, 1948 (5 Iyar 5708), in the presence of the members of the Vaad Leumi (Jewish National Council) and the leaders of the Yishuv, David Ben-Gurion proclaimed the establishment of the State of Israel, eight hours before the British Mandate of Palestine was due to end.

[1] Art works portraying nudity were covered, carpets were laid on the floors and windows were darkened over fears of an air raid.

The upper floors of the building have housed a Bible museum, featuring archaeological artifacts and works of art with biblical themes.

However, as the surrounding Rothschild Boulevard underwent a revival, and neighboring properties were restored, the hall appeared shabby and rundown in the 1990s and 2000s.

[1] In 2009, the "Independence House Law" was enacted to "restore and preserve the building [...] as it is of national and historical importance in the history of the people and the state."

[6] Glazer and Gal & Matsliah Architects won a design competition to restore the building and are being assisted by the engineer, Moshe Kazes.