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Old Courthouse
The Old Courthouse has
been the scene of many important events in St. Louis and national history
and is one of the city's most prominent architectural landmarks. The Old
Courthouse was the site of the two trials where Dred Scott and his wife who
sued for their freedom in 1847 and 1850 and where suffragist Virgina Minor
sued for the right to vote in 1872. Both cases were ultimately decided by
the Supreme Court, which ruled against the Scots and Minor. In 1816 Auguste
Chouteau and Judge John B.C. Lucas donated land to St. Louis County for a
courthouse near the St. Louis riverfront. Under the agreement the land was
to be "used forever as the site on which the courthouse of the County
of St. Louis should be erected." A Federal style brick courthouse, was
designed by the firm of Lavielle and Morton, which is reported to be the
first architect firm west of the Mississippi River above New Orleans, was
completed in 1828 designed by the firm of Lavielle and Morton. Lavielle and
Morton also designed the Basilica of St. Louis (the Old Cathedral) and the
early buildings at Jefferson Barracks. By the mid 1830s the
needs of the Courthouse had outgrown its capacity due to the population boom
in St. Louis caused by the expanding fur trade. Construction on a second
courthouse began in 1839. Designed by Henry Singleton as a Greek Revival
building with a cruciform plan with and a three-story cupola dome at the
center and incorporating the original courthouse as the east wing. Robert S.
Mitchell remodeled the Courthouse in the 1850's by replacing the east wing
and constructing additions to the north and south. From 1860-1864, William
Rumbold replaced the cupola with an Italian Renaissance cast iron dome
modeled on St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The United States Capitol
dome, which was built at the same time, is also modeled on the Basilica. The
dome has four lunettes with paintings by Carl Wimar depicting four events in
St. Louis history. Ettore Miragoli painted over them in 1880 but they were
restored in 1888. The building has a
temple front on both the east and west wings, with a geometric frieze
beneath the cornice. The temple fronts are reproduced on the north and south
wings with pilasters and pediments. The building is built of brick and
stone, and painted white. The courthouse building was the tallest building
in Missouri until 1896 when Union Station was built. The Courthouse was the
home of the civil courts of St. Louis County from 1828 to 1876. When the
county separated from the city, the city courts remained in the building
until 1930. The Old Courthouse is
well known as the starting place for several landmark Supreme Court cases.
The Old Courthouse was the site of hundreds of suits for freedom, but one
gained notoriety. In 1847, Dred Scott, with his wife Harriet, sued for, and
were granted, their freedom. The Supreme Court finally decided the case in
1857 by concluding that slaves were property, and as such, had no right to
sue. Although Chief Justice Roger N. Taney believed that the decision
settled the question of slavery once and for all it had the opposite effect
and hastened the start of the Civil War. The Old Courthouse is listed in the
National Park Service's National Underground Railroad Network To Freedom,
which sites, programs and facilities with verifiable associations to the
historic resistance to enslavement. In the 1872 Virginia Minor attempted to
vote in a St. Louis election and was arrested. Her trials including the
deliberations before Missouri Supreme Court were held in the building. The
case was eventually appealed to the United States Supreme Court, which
upheld the male only voting rules. The courthouse was
abandoned in 1930 when the Civil Courts Building was built. Descendents of
Chouteau and Lucas filed a lawsuit with the Missouri Supreme Court based
upon the original agreement claiming the Old Courthouse and its property
should revert back to them because it was no longer used for its original
purpose. St. Louis deeded the property to the Federal Government in 1940
after the court ruled against the families. In 1935 St. Louis voted a bond
issue to raze nearly 40 blocks around the courthouse for the new Jefferson
National Expansion Memorial and President Franklin Roosevelt declared in an
Executive Order the area to be a national monument. The National Park
Service acquired the property in 1940 and began renovations. A new roof was
installed in 1941 and offices were established and museum exhibits displayed
by 1943. The roof was rehabilitated, murals restored and a new museum
exhibit was introduced in 1979. The exterior was renovated in 1985 and the
four St. Louis history galleries were completed in 1986.
The Old Courthouse National Historic Site is part of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial, which also includes the Gateway Arch and the Museum of Westward Expansion. Visiting the Old
Courthouse National Historic Site
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Two
historic courtrooms on the second floor (photo left) have been restored
using original and reproduction furniture. The National Park Service often
conducts mock trials, including the Dred Scott trial, at the Old Courthouse
with visitors from the audience playing key roles in the reenactment. Four
rooms document the history of the St. Louis area with artifacts from the era
and large photographs. A theatre features a film entitled "Gateway to
the West" that traces the history of St. Louis from its origin as a fur
trading post to the center of commerce it is today. The film is open
captioned and audio enhancement devices are available for ranger-led
programs. The Old Courthouse gift shop has a wide selection of books, tapes,
posters and other items relating to St. Louis history
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