Surrogate's Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The Surrogate's Courthouse, also known as the Hall of Records, is a Beaux Arts municipal building in lower Manhattan
in New York City
.
Opened in 1907, it is located on the northwest corner of Chambers
and Centre
Streets, across the street from City Hall Park and from the Municipal Building
. It houses the city's Municipal Archives, as well as providing courtrooms for the Surrogate's Court
for New York County on the fifth floor.
, and contains elaborate marble interiors.
The three-part Chambers Street facade features a triple-arched main entrance centered along the two-story base, above which is centered a three-story Corinthian colonnade
topped by a cornice, a sixth story, another cornice and a mansard roof.
It was designed to be fireproof, in order to safely house the city's paper records. The Beaux Arts exterior features fifty-four sculptures by prize-winning artists Philip Martiny
and Henry Kirke Bush-Brown
, representing both allegorical figures — such as New York in Its Infancy, New York in Revolutionary Times, Philosophy, Law, and the seasons — and eminent figures from the city's past, including Peter Stuyvesant
, DeWitt Clinton
, David Pietersen De Vries, and mayors Caleb Heathcoate, Abram Stevens Hewitt
, Philip Hone
, Cadwallader David Colden, and James Duane
.
There is a three-story interior courtyard, supposedly inspired by the Paris Opera
, featuring an imposing marble double staircase leading to colonnaded balconies on the upper stories. It's considered one of the city's finest Beaux Arts interiors. Mosaic murals showing the zodiac were created by William DeLeftwich Dodge
. The elaborate Surrogates' courtrooms on the fifth floor are endowed with carved oak and mahogany paneling, and gilded plaster decoration.
The building has been favorably compared to the somewhat smaller Chamber of Commerce building and the somewhat larger Customs House
, both contemporaries of this building in lower Manhattan.
A rear entrance to the building has been made accessible to people with disablities, although some claim some internal obstacles remain.
and built between 1899 and 1907. Thomas was credited with being the nation's most prolific designer of public and semi-public buildings. He based his design on his award-winning plan for a new City Hall that was never constructed. Horgan & Slattery, an architectural firm with Tammany Hall
connections, completed the project after Thomas's death. The total cost was more than seven million dollars.
Although the fifth-floor Surrogates' courtrooms were planned as part of the building from the beginning, the name Hall of Records was not officially changed to Surrogate's Courthouse until 1962.
The building has suffered from few alterations over the years, aside from the removal of some Martiny statues facing Centre Street when that street was widened in 1961. Those statues, Authority and Justice, are nearby at the New York County Courthouse
, 60 Centre Street.
The interior is popular with film and television production companies and has been used in dozens of commercials, series and movies. Both the interior and exterior are New York City Landmarks
, and the building is on the National Register of Historic Places
and was designated a National Historic Landmark
in 1977.
Lower Manhattan
Lower Manhattan is the southernmost part of the island of Manhattan, the main island and center of business and government of the City of New York...
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...
.
Opened in 1907, it is located on the northwest corner of Chambers
Chambers Street (Manhattan)
Chambers Street is a bi-directional street in the New York City borough of Manhattan. It runs from River Terrace, Battery Park City, in the west, past PS 234 and Stuyvesant High School to 1 Centre Street, the Manhattan Municipal Building, to the east. In the early 20th century the street...
and Centre
Centre Street (Manhattan)
Centre Street runs north-south in the New York City borough of Manhattan. Centre Street runs from Park Row and continues north to Delancey Street where it merges with Lafayette Street....
Streets, across the street from City Hall Park and from the Municipal Building
Manhattan Municipal Building
The Manhattan Municipal Building, at 1 Centre Street in New York City, is a 40-story building built to accommodate increased governmental space demands after the 1898 consolidation of the city's five boroughs. Construction began in 1907 and ended in 1914, marking the end of the City Beautiful...
. It houses the city's Municipal Archives, as well as providing courtrooms for the 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...
for New York County on the fifth floor.
Architecture
The well-proportioned seven-story, steel-framed building is faced with granite from Hallowell, MaineHallowell, Maine
Hallowell is a city in Kennebec County, Maine, United States. The population was 2,467 at the 2000 census.-History:The city is named for Benjamin Hallowell, a Boston merchant and one of the Kennebec Proprietors, holders of land originally granted to the Plymouth Company by the British monarchy in...
, and contains elaborate marble interiors.
The three-part Chambers Street facade features a triple-arched main entrance centered along the two-story base, above which is centered a three-story Corinthian colonnade
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...
topped by a cornice, a sixth story, another cornice and a mansard roof.
It was designed to be fireproof, in order to safely house the city's paper records. The Beaux Arts exterior features fifty-four sculptures by prize-winning artists Philip Martiny
Philip Martiny
Philip H. Martiny was a Franco-American sculptor who worked in the Paris atelier of Eugene Dock, where he became foreman before emigrating to New York in 1878— to avoid conscription in the French army, he later claimed...
and Henry Kirke Bush-Brown
Henry Kirke Bush-Brown
Henry Kirke Bush-Brown was an American sculptor and the adopted nephew of sculptor Henry Kirke Brown. He was raised in Newburgh, New York and attended the National Academy of Design in New York City....
, representing both allegorical figures — such as New York in Its Infancy, New York in Revolutionary Times, Philosophy, Law, and the seasons — and eminent figures from the city's past, including Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant
Peter Stuyvesant , served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York...
, DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton
DeWitt Clinton was an early American politician and naturalist who served as United States Senator and the sixth Governor of New York. In this last capacity he was largely responsible for the construction of the Erie Canal...
, David Pietersen De Vries, and mayors Caleb Heathcoate, Abram Stevens Hewitt
Abram Stevens Hewitt
Abram Stevens Hewitt was a teacher, lawyer, an iron manufacturer, chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 1876 to 1877, U.S. Congressman, and a mayor of New York. He was the son-in-law of Peter Cooper , an industrialist, inventor and philanthropist...
, Philip Hone
Philip Hone
Philip Hone was Mayor of New York from 1826 to 1827. He was most notable for a detailed diary he kept from 1828 until the time of his death in 1851. His recorded diary is said to be the most extensive and detailed of his time in 19th century America.Son of a German immigrant carpenter, Hone became...
, Cadwallader David Colden, and James Duane
James Duane
James Duane was an American lawyer, jurist, and Revolutionary leader from New York. He served as a delegate to the Continental Congress, New York state senator, Mayor of New York, and a U.S...
.
There is a three-story interior courtyard, supposedly inspired by the Paris Opera
Palais Garnier
The Palais Garnier, , is an elegant 1,979-seat opera house, which was built from 1861 to 1875 for the Paris Opera. It was originally called the Salle des Capucines because of its location on the Boulevard des Capucines in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, but soon became known as the Palais Garnier...
, featuring an imposing marble double staircase leading to colonnaded balconies on the upper stories. It's considered one of the city's finest Beaux Arts interiors. Mosaic murals showing the zodiac were created by William DeLeftwich Dodge
William de Leftwich Dodge
William de Leftwich Dodge was an American artist best known for his murals.Dodge was born at Liberty, Virginia. He took first place in the examinations for the École des Beaux Arts in Paris in 1881, and also studied under Jean-Léon Gérôme and at the Académie Colarossi. He also studied in...
. The elaborate Surrogates' courtrooms on the fifth floor are endowed with carved oak and mahogany paneling, and gilded plaster decoration.
The building has been favorably compared to the somewhat smaller Chamber of Commerce building and the somewhat larger Customs House
Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House
The Alexander Hamilton U.S. Custom House is a building in New York City, built 1902–1907 by the federal government to house the duty collection operations for the port of New York. It is located near the southern tip of Manhattan, next to Battery Park, at 1 Bowling Green...
, both contemporaries of this building in lower Manhattan.
A rear entrance to the building has been made accessible to people with disablities, although some claim some internal obstacles remain.
History
A new Hall of Records, to replace a badly outdated building in City Hall Park, had been planned since 1888. The building was designed by John R. ThomasJohn Rochester Thomas
John Rochester Thomas was an American architect credited in his time with being the nation's most prolific designer of public and semi-public buildings....
and built between 1899 and 1907. Thomas was credited with being the nation's most prolific designer of public and semi-public buildings. He based his design on his award-winning plan for a new City Hall that was never constructed. Horgan & Slattery, an architectural firm with Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall
Tammany Hall, also known as the Society of St. Tammany, the Sons of St. Tammany, or the Columbian Order, was a New York political organization founded in 1786 and incorporated on May 12, 1789 as the Tammany Society...
connections, completed the project after Thomas's death. The total cost was more than seven million dollars.
Although the fifth-floor Surrogates' courtrooms were planned as part of the building from the beginning, the name Hall of Records was not officially changed to Surrogate's Courthouse until 1962.
The building has suffered from few alterations over the years, aside from the removal of some Martiny statues facing Centre Street when that street was widened in 1961. Those statues, Authority and Justice, are nearby at the New York County Courthouse
New York County Courthouse
The New York County Courthouse facing Foley Square in lower Manhattan in New York City houses the Civil Term and the Appellate Term of New York State Supreme Court for the state's First Judicial District, which is coextensive with Manhattan, as well as offices of the County Clerk.-Architecture:The...
, 60 Centre Street.
The interior is popular with film and television production companies and has been used in dozens of commercials, series and movies. Both the interior and exterior are New York City Landmarks
New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission
The New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission is the New York City agency charged with administering the city's Landmarks Preservation Law. The Commission was created in April 1965 by Mayor Robert F. Wagner following the destruction of Pennsylvania Station the previous year to make way for...
, and the building 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...
and was designated a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
in 1977.