Old Courthouse Architecture
posted by Daniel Solove
The other day, I blogged about new courthouse architecture. A few of the commentators said they had a soft spot for older courthouse architecture, which I share. Therefore, I thought I’d surf the web for some examples of older courthouses. I love architecture, and I found many an interesting picture to share with you. Here is what I found, with the year each was constructed:
November 10, 2005 at 12:34 am
Posted in: Architecture, Law Practice
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Responses (10)
Paul Gowder - November 10, 2005 at 10:36 am
Some of those courthouses are lovely indeed. For some reason, the riverside one reminds me of the Royal Pavilion in Brighton. Not so rounded, but with that same sort of gleaming hing going…
A more obscure favorite of mine is the Baker County Courthouse out in rural Oregon. It looks like a medieval fortress. Uh, there don’t appear to be any really good pictures online, but here’s another.
I can’t find any pictures at all of the recently renovated (and hopefully semi-undamaged) Louisiana Supreme Court building right in the French Quarter…
Anon - November 10, 2005 at 1:26 pm
The Ohio Supreme Court is in an amazing building that was constructed in the 1930s. It wasn’t originally a courthouse, but it was refurbished and refigured a few years ago. The original artwork inside, including amazing mosaics by the WPA, was retained. It’s really quite something.
Here’s a picture:
http://www.sconet.state.oh.us/move/
Amy Lamboley - November 10, 2005 at 5:05 pm
I have to put in a plug for my hometown courthouse in Santa Barbara. It’s a truly beautiful building.
You can see pictures at http://www.santabarbaracourthouse.org/sbch/, but they really don’t do it justice.
Concurring Opinions - November 18, 2005 at 2:44 am
More New Courthouse Architecture
I previously blogged about new courthouse architecture and old courthouse architecture. I have a few more leftover pictures of new courthouse architecture, so here they are:…
Matt - November 18, 2005 at 10:34 am
The Trumbull County (OH) Courthouse was built in 1895 and recently renovated in the 1990’s. You can see pictures from the website of the restorers: http://www.vwrl.com/projects.asp?categoryName=HISTORIC PRESERVATION&clientName=TRUMBULL COUNTY COURTHOUSE&alpha=1. This is the courthouse where Clarence Darrow began his legal career.
Alfred Brophy - November 18, 2005 at 11:42 am
Dan,
That Smithfield, Virginia courthouse (which you list as 1870) looks a lot older than that. Looks down-right seventeenth century to me, but perhaps it was built during Reconstruction to look like a seventeenth or eighteenth-century courthouse?
Preserve America’s website suggests that it was built in the 1750s.
Concurring Opinions - November 18, 2005 at 11:47 am
Does this insight apply to law professors as well?
Some years ago (I’m guessing sometime around 1997 from internal references, as historians would say), I saw in a newspaper a quote attributred to “Veteran horrormeister and Scream 2 director Wes Craven”: After you stop moaning about being stereotyped…
Concurring Opinions - November 18, 2005 at 11:49 am
Does this insight apply to law professors as well?
Some years ago (I’m guessing sometime around 1997 from internal references, as historians would say), I saw in a newspaper a quote attributred to “Veteran horrormeister and Scream 2 director Wes Craven”: After you stop moaning about being stereotyped…
Rand Jackson - June 12, 2006 at 11:01 am
Smithfield, Virginia Court House is indeed 1750s and
was built by Architect/Builder William Rand.
Jack Burrows - July 31, 2009 at 5:47 pm
This is probably a few years late, but regarding comment #6, about the old Isle of Wight County courthouse in Smithfield, VA: It was indeed built circa 1732-35. It’s one of three VA courthouses which are nearly identical and built at about the same time. The other two (in Hanover and King William Counties) are still used by those counties and largely unchanged externally. The Smithfield Courthouse was converted to a residence in 1852 and nearly demolished in the 1950’s to make room for a new Post Office. But the Association for the Preservation of Virginia Antiquities bought it and restored it to its original condition, inside and out. It’s a gem.
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