Comments on: Old Courthouse Architecture

By: Jack Burrows

Jack Burrows — Sat, 01 Aug 2009 00:47:16 +0000

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.

By: Rand Jackson

Rand Jackson — Mon, 12 Jun 2006 18:01:50 +0000

Smithfield, Virginia Court House is indeed 1750s and

was built by Architect/Builder William Rand.

By: Concurring Opinions

Concurring Opinions — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:49:38 +0000

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…

By: Concurring Opinions

Concurring Opinions — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:47:59 +0000

Does this insight apply to law professors as well?

By: Alfred Brophy

Alfred Brophy — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 18:42:31 +0000

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.

By: Matt

Matt — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 17:34:32 +0000

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.

By: Concurring Opinions

Concurring Opinions — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 09:44:36 +0000

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:…

By: Amy Lamboley

Amy Lamboley — Fri, 11 Nov 2005 00:05:40 +0000

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.

By: Anon

Anon — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 20:26:45 +0000

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/

By: Paul Gowder

Paul Gowder — Thu, 10 Nov 2005 17:36:32 +0000

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...