Salem, Massachusetts

Here’s a story you don’t hear much anymore. In 1837 the United States Treasury had a surplus of some 40 million dollars. So President Andrew Jackson gave the extra money to the various states who dispersed it among their cities and towns. Salem got $34,000 and used it to build a City Hall - and even then used only $22,000 of the free money. The City got a municipal building it has used for 175 years without using a single tax dollar. Boston architect Richard Bond designed the two-story building in the Greek Revival style with a granite street facade of four giant pilasters and brick walls on the other three sides. The eagle perched above City Hall is a gilded exact replica of one carved by Samuel McIntire that was damaged in a hurricane.