« A Modest Defense of Law Reviews | Main | Kerr v. Goldstein on Georgia v. Randolph »
November 10, 2005
Old Courthouse Architecture
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:
Posted by Daniel J. Solove at November 10, 2005 12:34 AM
Trackback Pings
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.concurringopinions.com/movabletype/mt-tb.cgi/185.
Listed below are links to weblogs that reference Old Courthouse Architecture:
» More New Courthouse Architecture from Concurring Opinions
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:... [Read More]
Tracked on November 18, 2005 02:44 AM
» Does this insight apply to law professors as well? from Concurring Opinions
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... [Read More]
Tracked on November 18, 2005 11:47 AM
» Does this insight apply to law professors as well? from Concurring Opinions
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... [Read More]
Tracked on November 18, 2005 11:49 AM
Comments
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...
Posted by: Paul Gowder at November 10, 2005 10:36 AM
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/
Posted by: Anon at November 10, 2005 01:26 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.
Posted by: Amy Lamboley at November 10, 2005 05:05 PM
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.
Posted by: Matt at November 18, 2005 10:34 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.
Posted by: Alfred Brophy at November 18, 2005 11:42 AM
Smithfield, Virginia Court House is indeed 1750s and
was built by Architect/Builder William Rand.
Posted by: Rand Jackson at June 12, 2006 11:01 AM
