About The Hall of Records: The Department of Records & Information Services’ headquarters are located in the Surrogate’s Courthouse, 31 Chambers Street, Manhattan. Designed by architect John R. Thomas in the Beaux-Arts style, with modifications by the firm of Horgan and Slattery, it was completed in 1907. The central atrium is considered one of the most beautiful interior spaces in New York City. Among its notable features is the grand staircase designed by the female architect, Fay Kellogg. The exterior is faced with granite from Hallowell, Maine and features 54 sculptures by artists Philip Martiny and Henry Kirke Bush-Brown. Originally called the Hall of Records, the seven-story steel-frame structure incorporates fire-proof construction suitable for record storage. Renamed the Surrogate’s Court in the 1960s, both the exterior and interior are designated New York City Landmarks. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972 and named a National Historic Landmark in 1977.
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