Old Courthouse (St. Louis) Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Old Courthouse, National Park Service site at Gateway Arch National Park

General information
Type	Museum
Location	St. Louis, Missouri
Coordinates	38°37′33″N 90°11′21″W / 38.62577°N 90.189257°W / 38.62577; -90.189257
Construction started	1816
Completed	1864
Owner	Gateway Arch National Park
Height
Roof	192 ft (59 m)
Design and construction
Architect	Henry Singleton (1839 renovation) Robert S. Mitchell (1851 renovation) William Rumbold (1864 dome)
References


Old Courthouse
U.S. Historic district Contributing property

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Location	St. Louis, Missouri
Built	1828
Part of	Gateway Arch National Historic Site (ID66000941)
Added to NRHP	October 15, 1966

The Old St. Louis County Courthouse is a historic building in St. Louis, Missouri. It was once a very important place where both federal and state courts met. For many years, from 1864 to 1894, it was the tallest building in Missouri! Today, it's part of the famous Gateway Arch National Park. The National Park Service takes care of it, and you can visit to see cool historical exhibits and learn about its past.

History of the Old Courthouse
Important Court Cases
- Dred Scott's Fight for Freedom
- Virginia Minor and Women's Voting Rights
Gallery
See also

History of the Old Courthouse

An 1885 parade passing in front of the Old Courthouse

Building the First Courthouse

The land for the courthouse was given in 1816 by Judge John Baptiste Charles Lucas and Auguste Chouteau, who helped found St. Louis. They wanted the land to be used "forever" for the county courthouse. The first building, designed in the Federal style, was finished in 1828.

Inside the courthouse rotunda

The architects, Laveille & Morton, were the first architecture firm west of the Mississippi River, north of New Orleans. They also designed other important buildings in the area. One of the architects, Joseph C. Laveille, even helped plan the street names for St. Louis!

Expanding the Courthouse

Missouri became a state in 1821, and St. Louis grew very quickly. Soon, a bigger courthouse was needed. In 1839, work began on a new design by Henry Singleton. This plan included four wings and a three-story dome in the center.

In 1851, Robert S. Mitchell started another redesign. The original east wing was torn down and rebuilt. From 1855 to 1858, the west wing was also updated. A very famous court case, the Dred Scott citizenship case, was heard in the west wing before it was remodeled.

The beautiful interior dome of the Old Courthouse

The Famous Dome

In 1861, William Rumbold replaced the old dome with a new one made of cast iron. This new dome was inspired by St. Peter's Basilica in Vatican City. The dome of the United States Capitol in Washington D.C. was also built around the same time and inspired by the same design. The St. Louis dome was finished in 1864. Inside, you can see amazing paintings by Karl Ferdinand Wimar in the rotunda.

Sadly, slave auctions also happened here. Courts sometimes sold enslaved people if their owners had passed away or were in debt. This was a common practice in courthouses across Missouri at that time. The last slave auction at the Old Courthouse took place in 1861.

The dome is made of strong wrought and cast iron, with a copper outside. Four special paintings inside the dome, by Carl Wimar, show important moments in St. Louis history.

Later Years and National Park Status

In 1878, Louis Brandeis, who later became a famous Supreme Court Justice, was allowed to practice law in the Old Courthouse.

When St. Louis City and St. Louis County separated in 1877, the courthouse became property of the city. The city stopped using it in 1930 after building a new courthouse.

During the Great Depression in 1935, St. Louis voted to create a new national park around the courthouse. This park is now known as Gateway Arch National Park. President Franklin Roosevelt made the area a national monument. The courthouse officially became part of this new monument in 1940.

The roof of the courthouse has been renovated several times. Today, the National Park Service has four history galleries inside, along with their offices. The courthouse once had many courtrooms, but now two have been restored to look like they did in the past. You can see Circuit Court #13 as it looked in 1910 and Circuit Court #4 as it looked around the 1850s.

The Old Courthouse was the tallest building in Missouri until 1896. It was also the largest structure in the national monument until the Gateway Arch was built in 1965.

Important Court Cases

The Old Courthouse was the site of two very important court cases that helped shape American history.

Dred Scott's Fight for Freedom

In 1846, an enslaved man named Dred Scott sued for his freedom, and his wife's freedom, in this courthouse. They argued that because they had lived with their owner in places where slavery was illegal, they should be free.
All of their trials, including a hearing at the Missouri Supreme Court, took place in the Old Courthouse.
The case eventually went all the way to the United States Supreme Court in 1857. This famous case, Dred Scott v. Sandford, ruled against the Scotts. The Supreme Court said that enslaved people were not citizens and therefore could not sue in federal court. This decision was a major event leading up to the American Civil War.

Virginia Minor and Women's Voting Rights

In 1872, Virginia Minor tried to vote in a St. Louis election and was arrested. She believed that as a citizen, she had the right to vote.
Her trials, including discussions before the Missouri Supreme Court, were held in this building.
Her case also went to the United States Supreme Court. In Minor v. Happersett (1875), the Supreme Court decided that the Constitution did not give women the right to vote. It said that states were allowed to set their own voting rules, which at the time meant only men could vote. This case was an important part of the long fight for women's suffrage (the right to vote).