This stereoview shows a large group gathered in front of the Belfast Post Office Square on upper Main Street during winter. The brick building behind the crowd is Peirce's Block, built in 1852. On the first floor were storefronts and the second floor was a large hall used for dances, concerts, and public meetings.

On April 19, 1861, at the onset of the Civil War, Peirce's Hall was filled with a large group of townspeople gathered together to hear patriotic speeches and to show support of the government, the Constitution, and the Union. The hall also served as a recruitment center for the Belfast City Greys, the local militia.