Wikimapia is a multilingual open-content collaborative map, where anyone can create place tags and share their knowledge.

Essex County Courthouse (Newark, New Jersey)

USA / New Jersey / Newark / Newark, New Jersey
 courthouse, interesting place, Renaissance Revival (architecture)

Designed c. 1904 in the Renaissance Revival style by Cass Gilbert as the seat of justice of Essex County with fanciful public artworks by noted American artists. Authorized by the Legislature in 1900, the design was chosen after a competition of leading American architects. The winner was Cass Gilbert, architect of the Mew York Custom House, the Woolworth Building, and more recently of the New United States Supreme Court Building in Washington, D.C. Excavation was begun in 1902, building continued from 1904-1907.

The exterior is clad in marble from quarries at South Dover, New York, the granite base and steps used being from Bethel, Vermont. On either side of the great stone steps leading to the entrance are two statues symbolizing "Truth" and "Power". On the pediment is the inscription: "Truth is the Handmaid of Justice." High over the pediment stand nine marble allegorical statues by Andrew O'Connor, symbolizing (from left to right): "The Power of the Law," "The Reason of the Law," "Statutory Law," "The Victory of the Law," "The Shelter of the Law," and "The Authority of the Law." Over the three main entrances are inscribed, respectively, "Law," "Justice" and "Peace." The sculptured figures were carved by Piccirilli Brothers, in marble from quarries near Great Barrington, Massachusetts,

The building enters into a main staircase hall rising to a dome, with two grand staircases on either side. On the four pendentives under the corners of the dome are painted four colossal seated female allegorical figures by the celebrated American mural painter Edwin H. Blashfield: "Wisdom," "Knowledge," "Power," and "Mercy."

The various chambers are decorated with striking murals by famous American artists, including Will Low and H. 0. Walker. The most famous of these scenes from the history of Essex County and of the City of Newark. In the Circuit Court is the painting of C. Y. Turner, "The Landing of the New Englanders on the Banks of the Passaic River, May 16, 1666." In the Freeholder's room (now a District Court Room) is Howard Pyle's painting, "The Landing of Lord Carteret, August, 1665." In the'Grand Jury room (now a District Court Room) is Frank D. Millet's painting of a historic revolutionary scene, "The Foreman of the Grand Jury Rebuking the Chief Justice of New Jersey, in 1774," when the royal judges (shown in full-bottomed wigs, and gowns) demanded indictments of certain prominent Colonists for treason. In the Supreme Court Room is the allegorical panel by Kenyon Cox, "The Beneficence of the Law."

The walls and ceiling of the Common Pleas Court Room (Room 104) are excellent examples of modern decorative woodwork. The paneling is in French walnut. The work has executed by Newark craftsmen. In the remodeling of the building this court room was made from the space formerly occupied by the County Register Department. Offices on this floor include the Prosecutor of the Pleas, County Detectives, Homicide Bureau and the Sheriff's Departmental Offices.

The second floor Circuit Court Room (Room 203) was the public meeting room of the Board of Freeholders. This room has been redesigned by Guilbert & Betelle but the original ornamental beamed coiling and marble walls have not been changed. Over the judge's desk is Howard Pyle's famous painting, "The Landing of Carteret." The artist chose for his subject the moment when Captain Philip Carteret, after having come ashore with about thirty settlers near the site of the City of Elizabeth, proclaimed his authority as Governor of the Province. Under his direction, the village, which then consisted of four log huts which had been erected the year previous, became the provincial capitol and was named Elizabethtown in honor of the wife of his relative and the proprietor, Sir George Carteret. This painting is one of the best works of the artist. In the redecoration of this room it was thought that this painting which had become quite dim would require retouching and it was removed to a studio for that purpose, but after a thorough cleaning it was found to be in almost perfect condition. In the process it received a new coat of preservative varnish, practically nothing more.

Also on the second floor is the Circuit Court Room (Room 222). The large painting is the work of H. C. Walker. It is entitled "The Power and Beneficience of the Law." The subject is allegorical. The law is represented as driving away the evil and vicious and uplifting the fallen. The two small figures of the lion and the eagle typify the strength of the of the law.

The third floor is used by the Domestic Relations Court. Room 303 was formerly devoted to the law library. It is finished in English brown oak. Furnishings are from the same wood. The entire rear of this floor is given over to the detention of persons awaiting trail or sentence in the various courts. There is ample room for segregation for all types of prisoners.

On the fourth floor, Room 401 is the Civil Court Room. Also used by the Chief Justice for hearing motions. The painting "Beneficence of the Law" is by Kenyon Cox. It bears this inscription "Under the Rule of Law, Inspired by Justice, Peace and Prosperity Abide." The central figure represents law clothed in the crimson mantle of authority. Over her floats justice, the Inspirer of the law. The figure at the right represents peace and the lower left, prosperity. The intention has been to dwell upon law as the protector of happiness.

Rooms 420 and 421 are used as the Chambers of the Chief Justice. These consist of a waiting room and a study finished in English oak. Room 422 contains the decorative panel, by Will H. Low, "Diogenes." The incident depicted is imaginary. Diogenes is represented in the search for an honest man and typifies the research of law. The child, typical of innocence advances to meet the cynical philosopher, who in turn smiles upon him. 423 contains the long decorative panel, "The Landing of the New Englanders"by C. V. Turner. The artist has chosen for his subject "the Landing of the Founders of Newark. Governor Carteret having established the government house at Elizabethtown sent agents into New England to proclaim the concessions given by the proprietors and to invite settlers to the colony. As the terms were J considered liberal, a group came to inspect the land and to consider settlement. They chose the land "to the north of Elizabethtown and beyond the marshes." The landing occured in May, 1666.

The Supreme Court Room was designed by Kenyon Cox. The robust dignified woman robed in crimson represents Law. She sits enthroned in a piece of ideal architecture in a smiling landscape. Above her floats Justice robed in the blue and white sky and bearing scales. Peace, a flaxen blonde robed in colors of the rose and the dove, sits at her feet of Law and looks up to her for protection while she holds up her emblem the olive branch. Below her are billing doves. On the lower left sits Prosperity crowned with grain and poppies; she distributes the fruits of the earth to the children of men. A third poet or the artist occupies himself with gathering daisies and pays no attention to anything else. To the right behind peace is a round temple emboivered in lofty trees, to the left beyond Prosperity is a flowering wild rose and a glimpse of winding river and distant mountain.

Lastly, the central dome was executed by Edwin Bashfield who painted the four colossal seated figures one in each of the pendentives of the central dome which was reportedly executed by Tiffany Studios. They represent Wisdom - symbolized by the unraveling of a skein; Knowledge - represented in the search of written records for a precedent. Power is typified by the sword and rods. Mercy, by the voting Athene - in ancient Greece when a tie vote occurred, a white bean was cast into a urn - it was a vote for mercy and was known as "the vote of the Goddess."

www.essexsheriff.com/laweservices/historic-courthouse/
npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/c985b956-ec11-46b0-a463-81e4...
hdl.handle.net/2027/uc1.c033529549?urlappend=%3Bseq=355...
www.cassgilbertsociety.org/works/essex-county-courthous...
dcmny.org/islandora/object/nyhs%3A2202
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   40°44'13"N   74°10'43"W
This article was last modified 3 years ago