During the late 19th and early 20th centuries the City and County Building was the symbol of non-Mormon citizens' open defiance of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

When the non-Mormon "Liberal Party" was campaigning for city government, they deemed the proposed "joint building" an example of the Church's extravagance and wastefulness.

The mostly non-Mormon city council questioned the buildings plans which had been completed during the People's Party reign, and wavered on how to proceed.

The Deseret News claimed this move served the City Council, which owned property around the site and would profit from increased land values.

Complicating matters was the Panic of 1893 which cut Salt Lake City and County revenues nearly in half.

This was done in concert with a seismic upgrade called base isolation that placed the weak sandstone structure on a foundation of steel and rubber to better protect it from earthquake damage.

The Salt Lake City and County Building's central clock tower is topped with a statue of Columbia and rises 256 feet (78 m) from the ground.

To the right of the entrance on the south side is the face of Father DeSmet, a Jesuit priest who preached to Native Americans and had contact with the Latter-day Saints before and after they traveled to Utah.

Gargoyles, eagles, sea monsters, beehives, Masonic icons, suns, and other symbols dot the building's rich exterior.

Lendi, a French sculptor, whimsically carved his face between the words "City" and "Hall" above the north entrance.

Portraits of the city's past mayors up to and including Ross "Rocky" Anderson line the corridor between these offices.

Named for George Washington, the block is the site of the original 1847 Mormon pioneers' camp in Salt Lake City.