(Courthouses In New York City)
Bounded by the Grand Concourse, East 161st Street, Walton Avenue and East 158th Street, the Bronx County Courthouse houses the Surrogate’s Court, Supreme Court, County Clerk, Sheriff, Public Administrator, District Attorney, Bronx Borough President, and other civic agencies.
Built in 1933 during the Depression at a cost of $8 million, this public project provided sorely needed jobs for the architects, sculptors and various construction workers responsible for its creation. After the site was chosen in 1928, construction began in 1931 and took three and a half years to complete. In 1934, Mayor LaGuardia received a bronze key during the building’s three-day dedication and celebration. The steel-framed building, with its granite and limestone facade, has a total floor area of 555,600 square feet.
After its construction was complete, the Herald Tribune called the courthouse a prime example of the “Twentieth Century American style”, a combination of neoclassical and Modern which was popular in Europe in the 1920s and 30s. The monumental structure rises nine stories over a high-rusticated granite base while the upper windows are set in vertical ribbons with copper and nickel Art Deco style spandrels separated by limestone piers. A large flight of stairs leads to a columned entrance portico, in typical courthouse style.
Built in 1933 during the Depression at a cost of $8 million, this public project provided sorely needed jobs for the architects, sculptors and various construction workers responsible for its creation. After the site was chosen in 1928, construction began in 1931 and took three and a half years to complete. In 1934, Mayor LaGuardia received a bronze key during the building’s three-day dedication and celebration. The steel-framed building, with its granite and limestone facade, has a total floor area of 555,600 square feet.
After its construction was complete, the Herald Tribune called the courthouse a prime example of the “Twentieth Century American style”, a combination of neoclassical and Modern which was popular in Europe in the 1920s and 30s. The monumental structure rises nine stories over a high-rusticated granite base while the upper windows are set in vertical ribbons with copper and nickel Art Deco style spandrels separated by limestone piers. A large flight of stairs leads to a columned entrance portico, in typical courthouse style.
The interior of the building includes arched marble entrances to the lobbies and vaulted elevator lobbies with bronze doors topped by pediments. All of the courtrooms have wood paneling with classical ornament, in a number of different styles and variety of wood types.
Bronx County celebrated its twentieth anniversary at the new courthouse when it was opened. To celebrate the occasion, Mayor LaGuardia moved the seat of government from City Hall to the courthouse for three days. The 1939 WPA Guide to New York City stated that it “dominates the entire scene for miles around.” Located at the southern end of the Grand Concourse, it covers an entire city block. With its court and City uses, the building has a large number of visitors and is the pivotal structure in the area.
The Bronx County Courthouse was designated a New York City Landmark in 1996. It is also listed on the New York State and National Registers of Historic Places.
Address
851 Grand Concourse (Map)
Bronx NY 10451
B or D train to 161st St., Yankee Stadium
4 train to 161st St., Yankee Stadium
Bx1 bus to 161st St. & Grand Concourse
Bx6 bus or #55 bus to River Avenue & 161st St.
