The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-10-17
HAND OVER
NEW. COURT
HOUSE KEYS
Formal Transfer of Hand
some Building by
Commission.
SPEECHES MARK OCCASION
Given Over to Freeholders' Pub
lie Buildings Csmmittee..Re
marks Are Made by Ward,
Otterbein, Eaten and
Others.
SPEECHES MARK OCCASION

With Impressive the new
Court House was turned over to the
committee on public buildings of the
Board of F~reeholders by the Court
House Commission shortly before IL
o'clock today,
The ceremonies consisted Of the pre-
senting of the keys of the building by
DR.. Leslie D. Ward, the president of the
commission, to Supervisor John F.
Otterbein, who in turn gave them to
Freebooter Edward G.. Eaton, the
chairman of the committee on public
buildings of the Board of Freeholders.
There were no elaborate ceremonies,
but there were several speeches and
American flags f1uttered in and around
the rotunda where the ceremonies were
held. The majority of the members
of the Board of Freeholders was pres
ent. Director Michael Barry was kept
away on account of death in his fam
lily. He was appointed on the commits
sion in the place of Thomas MCGOWAN,
whose death was touchingly referred
to by all of the speakers.
DR.. Ward reviewed the story of the
commissions work to a considerable
extent after the very informal gather
ing had beer called to order and while
the grind Of the criminal and circuit
courts was going on in the floors above
as usual. He was frequently interrupt
ed by applause when he rendered the
commissions report, which follows: i
.'This Court House has been erected
under authority of an act approved March
%. 1900, entitled AN act to facilitate the
acouirement of lands and the erection OF
buildings for county purposes. Ihat aeI
provided that when in any county IN lnls
State the Board of Chosen treeholders
should adopt a resolution declaring the
existing Court House and buildings IN use
for county offices to be inadequate, a pulid-
ing commission should be constituted 70
consist Of the director of the Board of
Chosen Freeholders and two other resi-
dents of said county, who should De Sc
lected and appointed by such director. ms
commission was TO continue in Once untll
the public building provided for in the SeI
should be completed and furnished TOT
s"1he Board of Freeholders Of Essex
County passed such a resolution on Marcn
"a. 1900. and the commission, composed OF
Thomas MCGOWAN. director of the BOARD.
George r. Gray and Leslie d. Ward was
appointed April Z. 1900. The commission or
ganized by the election of Leslie D. Ware
PRESIDENT; George R.. Gray, vice-president
and Thomas MCGOWAN. secretary.
ssThp commission elected as us cOunsei
yosenb Z. Mum and as clerk r. J. Free
man, The latter served until May IL, lHf,
when he resigned, and G.. P. Williams was
elected to All the vacancy; The commls1
sion continued unbroken until the lamented
death of Mr.. MCGOWAN on July IA. 1917, ms
successor being Michael Barry. the present
director Of the Board of Freeholders. VINO
was also elected secretary of the commits
sarhere was passed in the same year an
act under which 1t was possible to mite
grounds to be mutually agreed upon build
inps for city as well as for county pnr-
noses. On the 18th of April, 1900. a joint
meeting Of the B,t,d Shty romm Lomm'S was held
foliowed by other meetings, but on the 9th
Of Nav, 1900. it was decided at q Joint meet
ing then held that the plan OF coopeIanaon
ticable. The final result has been the erec-
tion Of the commodious and altogether
creditab1e City Hall and OF TINS Court
House upon separate sites.
''The block bounded at that time ~
High street, Market street. Thirtesnsn
avenue and Grove street was procured az
a cost Of $126. 1896. and Grove street was
closed. so that the present building oc-
cupies the block and the former site OF
Grove street and the approach 10 II u on
the site of the old Court House, Whlcn
was torn down and removed as soon as II
was possible for the county ofleers 10
move into and occupy the new puiiul1S.
place A. G. Of Newark; as
preliminary architectural adviser. and ne
submitted the preliminary draft Of the
first floor of the new Court House on the
18th of October, 1900. The commission, ae-
cOmpanied by its counsel. considered the
requirements of the building and visited
the Rhode Island State House. at Proyl.
dence. and the new Lucas County Court
House, at Toledo, O., and other places.
"On the 22d OF March. 1901, Professor
Warren p. Laird, Of the University OF
Pennsylvania, was employed as consulting
architect, and as adviser for the purpose
Of preparing requirements and speci1ca-
tions upon which architects might sub
NIT competing plans and designs.
ION April IS. 1901. the following archf-
tectufai firms met with the commission for
. general conaultation: George B. Post