Throughout history, the rotunda has been literally and figuratively the center of City Hall. It has provided a grand entry for the many people who have come to City Hall to attend ceremonies, celebrations, and even pay their respects to the deceased. In 1865, crowds climbed the central stairs to mourn the death of President Abraham Lincoln, who lay in state just outside the Governor's Room. Two decades later, President Ulysses S. Grant lay in state at the base of the grand staircase.