Civil Courts Building
Encyclopedia
The Civil Courts Building is a landmark court building used by the 22nd Judicial Circuit
Court of Missouri in St. Louis, Missouri
.
The building with its pyramid shaped roof is prominently featured in the center of photos of the Gateway Arch
from the Illinois side as its location on the Memorial Plaza is lined up in the middle directly behind the Old Courthouse.
The building was part of an $87 million bond issue ratified by voters in 1923 to build monumental buildings along the Memorial Plaza which also included Kiel Auditorium
and the Municipal Services Building. The Plaza and the buildings were part of St. Louis's City Beautiful plan.
It replaced the Old Courthouse as the city's court building and its construction prompted the descendents of the founding father Auguste Chouteau to unsuccessfully sue the city to get the Old Courthouse back since the stipulation was that it was to always be the courthouse.
The pyramid roof on the top was designed to resemble the Mausoleum of Maussollos
which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
. It features 32 Ionic columns (8 on each side). Each of the columns have 6 fluted drums, and a cap, and are about 42 feet (12.8 m) high, 5½ feet in diameter. They are made of Indiana limestone
.
The roof is made of cast aluminum and is topped by two 12 feet (3.7 m) high sphinx-like structures with the fleur-de-lis of St. Louis adorned on the chests. These sphinx-like creatures were sculpted by Cleveland sculptor, Steven A. Rebeck.
Some architectural elements from the building have been removed in renovations and taken to the Sauget, Illinois
storage site of the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation
.
Missouri Circuit Courts
The Missouri Circuit Courts are the state trial courts of original jurisdiction and general jurisdiction of the state of Missouri.-Jurisdiction:The Missouri Constitution provides for the Circuit Courts in Article V, Judicial Department.-List of circuits:...
Court of Missouri in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
.
The building with its pyramid shaped roof is prominently featured in the center of photos of the Gateway Arch
Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...
from the Illinois side as its location on the Memorial Plaza is lined up in the middle directly behind the Old Courthouse.
The building was part of an $87 million bond issue ratified by voters in 1923 to build monumental buildings along the Memorial Plaza which also included Kiel Auditorium
Kiel Auditorium
Kiel Auditorium was an indoor arena, in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. It was the home of the Saint Louis University basketball team and hosted the NBA's St. Louis Hawks, from 1955-1968....
and the Municipal Services Building. The Plaza and the buildings were part of St. Louis's City Beautiful plan.
It replaced the Old Courthouse as the city's court building and its construction prompted the descendents of the founding father Auguste Chouteau to unsuccessfully sue the city to get the Old Courthouse back since the stipulation was that it was to always be the courthouse.
The pyramid roof on the top was designed to resemble the Mausoleum of Maussollos
Mausoleum of Maussollos
The Mausoleum at Halicarnassus or Tomb of Mausolus was a tomb built between 353 and 350 BC at Halicarnassus for Mausolus, a satrap in the Persian Empire, and Artemisia II of Caria, his wife and sister....
which was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
The Seven Wonders of the World refers to remarkable constructions of classical antiquity listed by various authors in guidebooks popular among the ancient Hellenic tourists, particularly in the 1st and 2nd centuries BC...
. It features 32 Ionic columns (8 on each side). Each of the columns have 6 fluted drums, and a cap, and are about 42 feet (12.8 m) high, 5½ feet in diameter. They are made of Indiana limestone
Indiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
.
The roof is made of cast aluminum and is topped by two 12 feet (3.7 m) high sphinx-like structures with the fleur-de-lis of St. Louis adorned on the chests. These sphinx-like creatures were sculpted by Cleveland sculptor, Steven A. Rebeck.
Some architectural elements from the building have been removed in renovations and taken to the Sauget, Illinois
Sauget, Illinois
Sauget is a village in St. Clair County, Illinois, United States. It is part of Greater St. Louis. The population was 249 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Sauget is located at ....
storage site of the St. Louis Building Arts Foundation
St. Louis Building Arts Foundation
The St. Louis Building Arts Foundation started as the personal collecting hobby of Larry Giles, a historic preservationist in St. Louis, Missouri, USA. It later received assistance and monetary aid from the developer Stephen Trampe....
.