It was the second smallest of the 28 boroughs within the County of London, stretching from Finsbury Pavement and Square northwest towards King's Cross, splitting The Angel as well as including Farringdon station and the GPO complex at Mount Pleasant.

The building was built as the headquarters of Clerkenwell Vestry, and had been officially opened on 14 June 1895 by Lord Rosebery, the Prime Minister.

[2] The architect was C Evans Vaughan, and it was described by Nikolaus Pevsner as a "nice irregular brick building with Tudor windows and lantern".

[3] Finsbury Town Hall is now home to the Urdang Academy, a successful performing arts college.

When the borough was incorporated in 1900, the corporation adopted a complicated device bearing six shields for each of the constituent parishes and extra-parochial places from which it was formed.

At the left base of the seal was a depiction of the gate of St. Botolph, representing the Liberty of Glasshouse Yard.

The shield had the cross of St John, on which were placed a heraldic fountain for the New River and roundels and rings from the arms of Charterhouse School.

The crest on top of the helm was for St Sepulchre's parish, the shield held by the hand again combining elements of the arms of the City of London and Middlesex.

[citation needed] Islington Local History Centre holds records of the Metropolitan Borough of Finsbury, including council and committee minutes, rate books, publications and photographs.