Richmond County Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The Richmond County Courthouse is a 1919 municipal courthouse
in the civic center of St. George
in the borough
of Staten Island
in New York City
(Richmond County is coextensive with Staten Island). The neoclassical
style courthouse is on Richmond Terrace
next to Staten Island's Borough Hall
and across the street from the Staten Island Ferry terminal
.
The building houses the criminal part and some civil parts of State Supreme Court
for the state's 13th Judicial District, as well as the office of that court's administrative judge. Richmond County Surrogate's Court
is also located in the building.
. The building finally opened on November 3, 1919, to replace the 1837 Third County Courthouse
several miles away.
In 1919 the building housed one Supreme Court justice and one Surrogate who also acted as a justice of City Court, as well as the County Clerk and the District Attorney. County records were placed in the building and a law library was established the following year. The District Attorney moved out in 1979. The County Clerk, with the county records, moved across the street to 130 Stuyvesant Place in 1999, with the law library following in 2000.
Designed by the well-known architectural firm
of Carrere and Hastings
, who had earlier designed the neighboring 1906 Borough Hall, the building's architectural style has been variously described as Roman-inspired neoclassical, or Renaissance Revival with a Greek Revival portico. The L-shaped building is built on a hill sloping upwards from the harbor
and shares the block with Borough Hall, from which it is separated on its front or harbor side by a formal French garden. A sweeping flight of stairs leads up from Richmond Terrace to a temple front pediment supported by six large Corinthian columns
.
The building is a New York City Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places
.
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
in the civic center of St. George
St. George, Staten Island
St. George is a neighborhood on the northeastern tip of Staten Island in New York City, where the Kill Van Kull enters Upper New York Bay. It is the most densely developed neighborhood on Staten Island, and the location of the administrative center for the borough and for the coterminous Richmond...
in the borough
Borough (New York City)
New York City, one of the largest cities in the world, is composed of five boroughs. Each borough now has the same boundaries as the county it is in. County governments were dissolved when the city consolidated in 1898, along with all city, town, and village governments within each county...
of Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
(Richmond County is coextensive with Staten Island). The neoclassical
Neoclassical architecture
Neoclassical architecture was an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century, manifested both in its details as a reaction against the Rococo style of naturalistic ornament, and in its architectural formulas as an outgrowth of some classicizing...
style courthouse is on Richmond Terrace
Richmond Terrace
Richmond Terrace is primary east-west artery that runs through the St. George, New Brighton, Randall Manor, Port Richmond, Mariners Harbor, Elm Park, and Livingston neighborhoods of New York City, in the borough of Staten Island, New York....
next to Staten Island's Borough Hall
Staten Island Borough Hall
Borough Hall is the primary municipal building for the borough of Staten Island in New York City. It is located at 10 Richmond Terrace, opposite the Staten Island Ferry Terminal...
and across the street from the Staten Island Ferry terminal
St. George Terminal
St. George Terminal is a park and ride and sea, railway, and bus transit center that is located in the St. George section of Staten Island, New York. It is located at the intersection of Richmond Terrace and Bay Street, near Staten Island Borough Hall, Richmond County Bank Ballpark and Richmond...
.
The building houses the criminal part and some civil parts of State Supreme Court
New York Supreme Court
The Supreme Court of the State of New York is the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in thestate court system of New York, United States. There is a supreme court in each of New York State's 62 counties, although some smaller counties share judges with neighboring counties...
for the state's 13th Judicial District, as well as the office of that court's administrative judge. Richmond County Surrogate's Court
New York Surrogate's Court
The Surrogate's Court handles all probate and estate proceedings in the state of New York. All wills are probated in this court and all estates of people who die without a will are handled in this court...
is also located in the building.
History
Construction of the Richmond County Courthouse was begun on December 27, 1913, but was delayed by the advent of World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The building finally opened on November 3, 1919, to replace the 1837 Third County Courthouse
Third County Courthouse
The Third County Courthouse is an 1837 Greek Revival building at 302 Center Street in Historic Richmond Town, near the center of Staten Island, New York. Preceded by two smaller courthouses, it was the Richmond County Courthouse during most of the nineteenth century and was in use until 1919, when...
several miles away.
In 1919 the building housed one Supreme Court justice and one Surrogate who also acted as a justice of City Court, as well as the County Clerk and the District Attorney. County records were placed in the building and a law library was established the following year. The District Attorney moved out in 1979. The County Clerk, with the county records, moved across the street to 130 Stuyvesant Place in 1999, with the law library following in 2000.
Designed by the well-known architectural firm
Architectural firm
An architectural firm is a company which employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture.- History :Architects have existed since early in recorded history. The earliest recorded architects include Imhotep and Senemut . No writings exist to describe how these...
of Carrere and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère and Thomas Hastings , located in New York City, was one of the outstanding Beaux-Arts architecture firms in the United States. The partnership operated from 1885 until 1911, when Carrère was killed in an automobile accident...
, who had earlier designed the neighboring 1906 Borough Hall, the building's architectural style has been variously described as Roman-inspired neoclassical, or Renaissance Revival with a Greek Revival portico. The L-shaped building is built on a hill sloping upwards from the harbor
New York Harbor
New York Harbor refers to the waterways of the estuary near the mouth of the Hudson River that empty into New York Bay. It is one of the largest natural harbors in the world. Although the U.S. Board of Geographic Names does not use the term, New York Harbor has important historical, governmental,...
and shares the block with Borough Hall, from which it is separated on its front or harbor side by a formal French garden. A sweeping flight of stairs leads up from Richmond Terrace to a temple front pediment supported by six large Corinthian columns
Corinthian order
The Corinthian order is one of the three principal classical orders of ancient Greek and Roman architecture. The other two are the Doric and Ionic. When classical architecture was revived during the Renaissance, two more orders were added to the canon, the Tuscan order and the Composite order...
.
The building is a New York City Landmark and is on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
.