Kingston's City Hall was built with the fact in mind that it would be situated in the capital of the country.  When the building was completed, over three hundred Kingstonians were invited to a celebratory banquet, and food leftovers were distributed to the poor the next day.

Contrary to the hopes of city officials, however, Parliament refused invitations to use the buildings for government offices on several occasions.  City officials were often left hunting for tenants to fill the luxurious space.

Organizations such as the Post Office, the Customs House, and even the Bank of British North America came and went, but none remained as permanent tenants.

Inside, the big hall was used for lectures, bazaars, recitals and dances, and the great hall was used for town meetings until the city grew large enough to use all of the available space.

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