United States Supreme Court Building

United States Supreme Court Building. The United States Supreme Court is housed in this building, which was designed by Cass Gilbert and completed in 1935. The building is located in Washington, D.C., near the United States Capitol and the Library of Congress. It has been the seat of the Supreme Court of the United States since its completion, replacing the Old Senate Chamber in the United States Capitol building, where the court had previously met, including during the tenure of Chief Justice William Rehnquist and Chief Justice John Roberts.

● History

The history of the building dates back to 1929, when Congress authorized the construction of a new building for the Supreme Court of the United States, with President Herbert Hoover signing the bill into law, following the efforts of Chief Justice William Howard Taft and Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes. The building was constructed between 1932 and 1935, with a total cost of $9,740,000, which is approximately $180 million in today's dollars, adjusted for inflation as calculated by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. The building was officially dedicated on October 7, 1935, in a ceremony attended by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes, and other dignitaries, including Associate Justice Louis Brandeis and Associate Justice Harlan F. Stone. The building has undergone several renovations and expansions since its completion, including a major renovation in the 1970s led by Architect of the Capitol J. George Stewart, and a more recent renovation completed in 2020, which was overseen by Architect of the Capitol Brett Blanton.

● Architecture

The building was designed in the Neoclassical style by Cass Gilbert, who also designed the Woolworth Building in New York City and the Minnesota State Capitol in St. Paul, Minnesota. The building's design was influenced by the White House, the United States Capitol, and the Pantheon in Rome, with input from Supreme Court justices, including Chief Justice Charles Evans Hughes and Associate Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr.. The building's facade is made of marble from Georgia and features a large portico with Corinthian columns, similar to those found in the Parthenon in Athens, Greece. The building's interior features a large Great Hall with a dome-shaped ceiling, inspired by the Pantheon and the United States Capitol Rotunda, and a Court Chamber with a coffered ceiling, designed by Cass Gilbert and Edward Pearce Casey, the building's interior designer.

● Location and surroundings

The building is located in Washington, D.C., on a site bounded by First Street Northeast, East Capitol Street, Second Street Northeast, and Maryland Avenue Northeast, near the United States Capitol and the Library of Congress. The building is situated on a plaza that features a large fountain and several statues, including a statue of Joseph Story and a statue of John Marshall, designed by Hermon Atkins MacNeil and William Ordway Partridge, respectively. The building is within walking distance of several other notable landmarks, including the National Mall, the Washington Monument, and the World War II Memorial, which was designed by Friedrich St. Florian and features a Freedom Wall with 4,000 gold stars, representing the American servicemen who died during World War II.

● Art and symbolism

The building features several works of art and symbolism, including a large mural in the Great Hall depicting the history of law, designed by John Singer Sargent and Hildreth Meière, and a frieze in the Court Chamber featuring figures from mythology and history, including Moses, Solomon, and Justinian I, designed by Adolph A. Weinman and Hermon Atkins MacNeil. The building's dome is adorned with a statue of the Authority of Law, designed by James Earle Fraser, and the portico features a pediment with a sculpture of Liberty and Justice, designed by Hermon Atkins MacNeil. The building's interior also features several tapestries and rugs, including a tapestry designed by Aubusson and a rug designed by Edward Pearce Casey.

● Tour and education

The building is open to the public for tours, which are led by docents from the Supreme Court Historical Society and the National Park Service. Visitors can tour the Great Hall, the Court Chamber, and the exhibition galleries, which feature exhibits on the history of the Supreme Court and the Constitution of the United States, including the Articles of Confederation and the Bill of Rights. The building also offers educational programs for students and teachers, including a summer institute for high school teachers and a fellowship program for law students, in partnership with the National Constitution Center and the American Bar Association. The building's gift shop offers a variety of publications and souvenirs, including books on the history of the Supreme Court and models of the building, designed by Architect of the Capitol David Lynn.

● Security and operations

The building is protected by the Supreme Court Police, a federal law enforcement agency that is responsible for the security of the building and the justices, with support from the United States Marshals Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The building is also equipped with security cameras and metal detectors, and visitors are required to pass through security checkpoints before entering the building, similar to those found in the United States Capitol and the White House. The building's operations are managed by the Architect of the Capitol, who is responsible for the maintenance and upkeep of the building, with support from the General Services Administration and the National Park Service. The building is open Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 4:30 pm, and is closed on federal holidays, including New Year's Day and Independence Day. Category:Government buildings in the United States