OLDEST -- continuously operating courthouse in America
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Telomere
N 42° 48.488 W 070° 52.439
19T E 346778 N 4741211
The Superior Courthouse in Newburyport, Massachusetts has an interesting and long history, but most notably has been in use as a courthouse since it's opening in 1805.
Waymark Code: WM70V7
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 08/16/2009
Views: 4
In 1804 Newburyport was ranked as one of the wealthiest cities in the United States, mostly due to a thriving shipping trade. In this year the townspeople authorized the building of a new courthouse, and hired noted American architect Charles Bulfinch to design the structure and supervise it's construction. It was completed and opened to the public in 1805. Located on the "Bartlett Mall", (which was modeled after London's Pall Mall) and adjacent to the 'Frog Pond' - an ancient glacial kettle hole, the brick building has been remodeled several times, eliminating a second peak on the roof, deleting the "Lady of Justice" statue on the roof, and reconstructing the first floor to create interior space where graceful columns and arches had enclosed a small front arcade. More recently, the entire building was coated with mastic cement to resemble stone, but this was later removed to expose the original brickwork.
John Quincy Adams and Daniel Webster tried cases here; In one of Webster's cases he actually convinced the jury that the victim of a robbery had fabricated the incident to frame the alleged perpetrators. Owing to this chapter it the town's history, the location of the supposed robbery is still known as "Sham Hill".
The building was the target of a bombing in 1976 by the "Fred Hampton Unit of the People's Forces"; a political group. The explosion blew away a corner of the building, and blew out every window. The damage was soon repaired, and although old bricks were used in the repair, the difference in still visible.
Type of documentation of superlative status: On-site, written history and website.
Location of coordinates: High Street at Green Street, Newburyport, MA
Web Site: [Web Link]
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