The City Hall complex has three connected buildings. The main City Hall building is in the center of the complex. It is the five story high former Russwin Hotel originally designed in the Italian Renaissance style by architect Joseph Morrill Wells of the architectural firm of McKim, Mead and White and build in 1885. Between 1908 and 1909 the building converted into the City Hall by McKim, Mead and White.
The building features a brownstone street level with five arches. The central arch is an entrance the other arched are glass windows. There are nine rectangular windows on the brownstone second level. The upper levels are brick. The third and fourth levels have nine pairs of windows framed by a two story high arches. The upper window is rounded on top. The lower window is rectangular. A balcony is located on the third level between the three center windows. On the fifth floor nine windows are rounded and set within rounded arches. The hip roof overhangs the building.
On the east side of the complex is a two story high Romanesque Revival style building that was built in l860-186l for the New Britain National Bank. This building was incorporated into the City Hall complex in the 1920s. The ground floor has four double plate glass windows. The second level and third levels have brownstone framed 3 by 4 double hung windows. The lintels on the second level are triangular and on the third level are rounded arches. The flat roof overhangs the building.
On the west side of the complex is the three story high Renaissance Revival style brick building built in 1871 as a U.S. Post Office. The ground floor triple brownstone arched windows. The second level has three arched windows with brownstone sills and arched lintels. The windows set within recessed rectangles with ornate brickwork on top.
In the park on the south side of W. Main street is the Beaux Arts style Civil War Monument dedicated in 1900. The monument was designed by Ernest Flagg, the contractors were M.J. O'Connor, James Muir, and Thomas Fahy, and the engineer for the project was Thomas S. Bishop. It was dedicated on September 19, 1900 to the citizens from New Britain who served in the Civil War.
The 51' high limestone monument contains three parts: the base, tomb and attic, and a dome topped by a gilded figure of Winged Victory. Winged Victory is depicted standing on a globe with her wings outspread. She is wearing sleeveless flowing robes and holds a wreath in her outstretched right hand. The attic below the statue contains reliefs and tablets and four gilded torches at each corner.
The each side of the middle tomb is decorated with a pair of Ionic columns topped by pediments and flanked with a window covered with triangular pierced stone plates. The base has a pair of iron doors and two tiered lion head fountains which are now inoperable. Four columns stand outside the corners of the monument. Each column has the names of 16 Civil War battles inscribed on the pair of adjacent outside faces of the column, eight to to a face. Total number of battle names = 64.
Inscriptions appear on each side of the monument. The tablet on the lower front (south) face is inscribed:
OH RARE AND ROYAL
WAS THE SACRIFICE
Above, the tablet in attic is inscribed:
WITH MALICE TOWARD
NONE WITH CHARITY
FOR ALL WITH FIRM
NESS IN THE RIGHT
LINCOLN
On the east face above the fountain is the inscription:
THIS MONUMENT IS BUILT IN
GRATEFUL REMEMBRANCE OF
THE SOLDIERS AND SAILORS
WHO IN THE WAR TO MAINTAIN
THE UNION OFFERED THEIR
LIVES IN THE CAUSE OF MANKIND
THAT COMING GENERATIONS
TAUGHT BY THEIR EXAMPLE MAY
CHERISH THE FRUITS OF THEIR
VALOR AND DEVOTION AND MAKE
THEIR MEMORY IMMORTAL
Between the columns is the inscription:
FOR YOU AND ME THEY
PUT THEIR ARMOR ON
Above on the tablet in the attic is the inscription:
LET US HAVE PEACE
GRANT
On the north face is the inscription:
FOR YOU AND ME THEY
STOOD IN GRIM ARRAY
Above on the tablet in the attic is the inscription:
LIBERTY AND UNION
NOW AND FOREVER
ONE INSEPARABLE
WEBSTER
On the west face above the fountain is the inscription:
MDCCCLXI - MDCCCLXV
ERECTED BY THE
CITIZENS OF NEW BRITAIN
MDCCCXCIX
Between the columns is the inscription:
THEY JOINED THE MORTAL
STRUGGLE AND WENT DOWN
Above on the tablet in the attic is the inscription:
TO HEROES LIVING
AND DEAR MARTYRS
DEAD
LOWELL