▁for ▁a ▁W PA ▁grant ▁to ▁help ▁fin ance ▁the ▁construction ▁of ▁a ▁new ▁City ▁Hall . ▁The ▁grant ▁was ▁approved , ▁and ▁construction ▁began ▁in ▁March ▁ 1 9 3 8 , ▁continu ing ▁for ▁ 2 0 ▁months . ▁ ▁Joseph ▁F inger ▁had ▁designed ▁the ▁city ▁hall ▁building ▁in ▁a ▁stri pped ▁classical ▁style . ▁He ▁wanted ▁to ▁place ▁on ▁the ▁front ▁terra ce ▁stat ues ▁of ▁John ▁Kir by ▁Allen ▁and ▁August us ▁Chap man ▁Allen , ▁but ▁the ▁City ▁of ▁Houston ▁lack ed ▁the ▁funds ▁needed ▁to ▁add ▁the ▁stat ues . ▁The ▁stat ues ▁would ▁have ▁cost ▁$ 8 , 0 0 0 ▁and ▁the ▁city ▁was ▁still ▁suffering ▁from ▁the ▁Great ▁De pression . ▁The ▁Texas ▁Star ▁Chapter ▁of ▁the ▁D augh ters ▁of ▁the ▁Republic ▁of ▁Texas ▁( DR T ) ▁discovered ▁this ▁fact ▁from ▁reading ▁a ▁November ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁article ▁of ▁the ▁S cri pp s ▁Howard ▁Houston ▁Press ▁and ▁public ized ▁it ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁The ▁statue ▁project ▁was ▁dropped ▁by ▁the ▁D RT ▁chapter ▁and ▁the ▁O ran ▁M . ▁Roberts ▁Chapter ▁ 4 4 0 , ▁U DC , ▁stepped ▁in ▁and ▁raised ▁the ▁funds ▁to ▁have ▁the ▁Allen ▁Brothers ▁stat ues ▁commission ed ▁and ▁cast ▁in ▁bronze . ▁ ▁On ▁July ▁ 1 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁world - ren owned ▁sur geon ▁Dr . ▁Michael ▁E . ▁Deb ake y ▁lay ▁in ▁rep ose ▁in ▁Houston ▁City ▁Hall