The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1918-05-28

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it was moved to Fayetteville, now New
fame. It's timbers and boarding, now
more than a century old, can be de-
tected on an examination OF the present
structure in Newfane village. At the
time of moving of the county-seat into
the village extensive repairs were made,
and those with many additions and I'M
provements constitute the present
building. The first repairs of note were
made in 1853. when the building was
enlarged, and the latest repairs and I'M
provements were made a few years
since, when an addition of 20 feet was
made to the west end of the structure,
to provide rooms for the judges cham
bers, lawyers and grand jury. This was
accomplished without in the slightest
degree altering the style of architecture
or marring the symmetry OF the struc-
| ture, which is one of the most attrac-
tive court houses in New England and
| by far the most so in Vermont.
| The beauty of the structure is great
| " enhanced by its location, it standing
on slight elevation, surrounded on all
sides by stately naples. The building
| is of noble proportions, being SO feet in
length, A feet wide, two stories high,
surmounted by handsome tower and |
belfry, now hidden by the dense foliage
| of the trees; four massive wooden pill |
lars support the portico on the eastern |
| front The house is constructed of |
wood, with slate roof, and is painted |
white, with green blinds; it is well |
| lighted by nine windows in front, IL on
the north 10 in the rear, and Is on the
south.
The court ROOM which is located on the
second floor is AZ feet in length by SO
feet wide, Is feet high, with a gallery
Is feet deep. The interior decorations
of the entire building are unlike those
of any other court house in Vermont, at
least, the wood work being finished in
white enamel; the lower portion of the
side walls covered with mahogany col
or burlap and the upper portion with
a rich blue embossed paper; the ceilings
are steel covered and tinted in blue and
white, in harmony with the sidewalks.
The court room furnishings have met
with but few changes in the course of
time, the present wooden settees having
served for many years as well as the
tables which are used by the lawyers
and which form the enclosure to the
bar. The house is lighted throughout
with electricity.
Opening out of the court room, to-
ward the front entrance, are rooms for
the use of the jury, and the library.
2 presented by Judge Hoyt II. Wheeler
! these two rooms extending under the
!, gallery Two large rooms open from
| the court room to the west; these are
: the judges chambers and consultation
: room for use of the lawyers, between
:, which hall and stairs are placed. On
| the ground floor opening from either
side of the corridor, extending the
: length of the building, are commodi-
i Gus rooms for the use of the sheriff, the
. clerk, the grand jury and the steno-
;. graphic reporter. The court room IS
I reached from the front entrance by an
attractive winding stairway, and at the
l west end Of the corridor is an entrance
to the second floor by means of more
modern stairway.
The court house is distinguished from
all other similar structures in the state
by the large number of portraits which
are hung in the main court room and
the rooms opening from it. There are
81 of These and many of them are of
/ great interest. They are. an ATTRACTIVE
l feature to all visitors to the old court
l house and are regarded with reverence
l by the members of the bench and bar.
III The most conspicuous of these por'
/ traits is the life size likeness, done in
l oil. of William c. Bradley. This hangs
/ in the center of the north wall in tho
| court room, and was painted by Tenney
/ in 1855. The canvas is surmounted by
1 n frame of goldleaf six inches in depth
This portrait of Father Bradley, as
he was commonly called, was the gif1
= of the bar. AT the April term, 1854, Mr.
: Bradley had made an exhaustive an(
| hot no m,
II as he stepped along to resume his chat
II he staggered and trembled violently
H whereupon Oscar L. Shafter, then o
H Wilmington, sitting at one of the tables
II wrote subscription providing for thu
H raising of fund to secure a suitable
II portrait of Mr.. Bradley for the cour
II room, all feeling that he would not b.
II with them for long. The paper wa
II signed by the members of the bar am
II court officers and a sufficient amour
II was raised to procure the painting. I
II Tenney painted the portrait in 1855 il
II Westminster, where Mr.. Bradley resid
II ed.
II Renewed interest has lately been Civ
y en- to this and the other portraits on &c
. count of the hanging under each a glas
covered and framed sketch of the sub
iect represented The sketch o
"Father'' Bradley is as follows:
~ civilian C. Bradley. Born West
" minister March %, 1882 died same plac
] March 4, 1867; educated at Yale, bu
did not graduate; studied law wit
&c Judge Simeon Strong of Amherst an
oc his father, Stephen r. Bradley. Al
1c mitted to bar at 20, represented West
minister at "a; at 30 was member of tn
, council and at 80 was a representative
in congress- Was agent of the Unite
States under Treaty of Client for fixin
Z the northeast boundary. Again men
y Der of congress 1s23-1S27. Member Q
~. legislature 1880; state constitution;
. convention 1857. In practice So year
arguing his last case 1857, when ba
gave him farewell supper at Newfan