New Haven County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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New Haven County Courthouse
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New Haven County Courthouse in 2008
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | 121 Elm Street, New Haven, Connecticut |
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| Area | 1.2 acres (0.49 ha) |
| Built | 1917 |
| Architect | Allen and Williams |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts, Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000404 |
| Added to NRHP | May 16, 2003 |
The New Haven County Courthouse is an important building located at 121 Elm Street in the downtown area of New Haven, Connecticut. It was built in 1917 and became a protected historic place on May 16, 2003, when it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This courthouse is known as one of New Haven's best examples of Beaux Arts architecture, especially because of its beautiful central atrium (a large, open space inside).
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Discovering the New Haven Courthouse
The New Haven County Courthouse stands proudly in downtown New Haven. It faces the New Haven Green, which is a large park in the city center. The building is made of white Vermont marble and has three stories.
Courthouse Design and Features
The courthouse has a mostly rectangular shape. It has parts that stick out on each side, with different depths. The two parts facing the streets have the main entrances. These entrances feature Ionic porticos, which are fancy porches with columns. A special central section of the building rises even higher. This extra height makes the main atrium inside feel very grand.
Inside, the courthouse is decorated with rich materials. You can see marble, mahogany wood, shiny brass, and detailed plasterwork. Some doors even have heavy brass doorknobs with the county's official seal on them.
History of the Courthouse
The courthouse was designed by two architects, William H. Allen and Richard Williams. Their design, which is in the Beaux Arts style, won a special competition. Many other famous architects also submitted their ideas. This building helped New Haven join the "City Beautiful" movement. This movement aimed to make public spaces and buildings more beautiful and impressive.
In 1956, there was a plan to tear down the building, but luckily, it was saved! The outside of the courthouse got a big makeover starting in January 2013. This renovation cost about $10.5 million. Many important legal cases have taken place inside this historic courthouse over the years.
Art and Sculpture at the Courthouse
The front of the courthouse features a beautiful sculpture created by J. Massey Rhind. This artwork is found in the tympanum, which is the half-circle space above the main entrance. The figures in Rhind's sculpture represent important ideas like Justice, Victory, Precedence, Accuracy, Common Law, Statutory Law, Progress, and Commerce.
You might notice a special netting installed across the tympanum. This netting is there to stop hawks from building nests in the sculpture. These birds have nested there in the past!
