Staten Island Borough Hall CLIENT: Borough of Staten Island ARCHITECT: Carrere & Hastings DATE: 1903-06 STYLE: French Renaissance Borough Hall, Staten Island’s grandest civic monument, was designed in 1903, five years after the consolidation of Greater New York. The magnificent structure was the work of Carerre & Hastings, one of the leading architectural firms in New York at the turn of the century. The building is a testament to the belief of the firm’ s partners that French Renaissance design, as adapted to American needs, was the most appropriate style for that period. The brick and stone building, dramatically sited on a hill above the St. George terminal, is visible to all who arrive in Staten Island by ferry, and its tall clocktower is a welcoming beacon to resident and visitor alike.

Staten Island Borough Hall, ca. 1907. Designed by Carrère & Hastings (John Carrère was Staten Island resident for some time) and completed in 1906, the Staten Island Borough Hall was one of a number of Staten Island civic buildings constructed by the firm. The building is a three- story French Renaissance style brick building topped by large two-story mansard roof. The government of Staten Island, once located at Richmond Town, was moved to St. George after the consolidation of Greater New York City in 1898. In 1940, Frederick Charles Stahr, a WPA artist, created a series of murals and reliefs for the grand marble lobby that depict the history of Staten Island.