46 ANNUAL REPORT OF NEW-YORK 



passage of this bill, and for its being carried into effect. In the 

 spring of 1854, contracts were made and the work commenced; 

 but the old building proving defective, the w^ork was suspended 

 until the meeting of the Legislature in 1855, when the sum of 

 $15,000 w^as appropriated, to be used by the Commissioners of 

 the Land OflBlce, should they be satisfied that it w^ould be unsafe 

 to complete the improvements of the Hall, according to the con- 

 tracts made under the law of 1854. The Commissioners met 

 after the adjournment of the Legislature, and decided that the old 

 building would not answer; and contracts were entered into for 

 the erection of the building as now completed. Previous to com- 

 mencing the work, the State Agricultural Society was assigned 

 the two east rooms on the first floor of the main building and the 

 entire wing of four floors in the rear, and the same were erected 

 and arranged under the directions of the Executive Committee 

 of the Society — comprising an office and library in the main 

 building; a basement designed for a laboratory and store rooms; 

 a lecture room, and an exhibition room of three stories — all of 

 which are now completed. 



The building committee, on the part of the Commissioners of 

 the Land Office, were : 



Hon. E. W. Leavenworth, Secretary of State. 



Hon. James M. Cook, Comptroller. 



Hon. Jolin T. Clark, State Engineer. 



W. S. Woolett, Jr., Architect. 



Contractors — John Bridgford, John N. Parker and Joseph 

 Davis. 



The building was commenced in April, 1855, and completed 

 in December of the same year — and within the amount appropriated 

 by the Legislature ; most creditable to the gentlemen above named, 

 who had charge of the building, and an example, it is hoped, 

 that will be followed hereafter by those superintending public 

 edifices in our State and country. The last Legislature adjourned 

 without passing the bill which contained appropriations for com- 

 pleting the building. The work upon the agricultural depart- 

 ment had been commenced, and the Commissioners of the Land 

 Office, after the Legislature adjourned, informed the Executive 

 Committee that if they would provide the necessary means to 

 . complete their portion of the building, the workmen could con- 



