The latest of several civic buildings on Government Square, this Corinthian-order city hall was erected to combine government functions with a 2,500-seat auditorium. The building is faced with cream-colored brick with terra-cotta details, supplied by the Maryland Terra-cotta Company of Baltimore; limestone from Bedford, Indiana, quarries; and granite from Mt. Airy, North Carolina. The 8th Street elevation, partially recessed between wide end bays, has an impressive screen of eight giant three-quarter columns marching in formation.