page_title: Tweed Courthouse
section_title: Architecture
hierarchical_section_title: Tweed Courthouse / Architecture
caption_attribution_description: This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. Its reference number is 74001277
context_page_description: The Tweed Courthouse, officially known as the Old New York County Courthouse, is a historic courthouse building at 52 Chambers Street in Civic Center, Manhattan, New York City. It was built in the Italianate style, with Romanesque Revival interiors. William M. "Boss" Tweed – the corrupt leader of Tammany Hall, a political machine that controlled the New York state and city governments when the courthouse was built – oversaw the building's erection. The Tweed Courthouse served as a judicial building for New York County, a county of New York state coextensive with the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is the second-oldest city government building in Manhattan, after City Hall.
  The structure comprises pavilions to the east and west of a central section, as well as a rear wing to the south. Architect John Kellum and political appointee Thomas Little designed the first portion of the building, which was constructed from 1861 to 1872. Construction was interrupted in 1871 when Kellum died, and the corruption involved in the building's construction was exposed to the public.
context_section_description: The Tweed Courthouse includes a central section, two wings on the western and eastern ends, and an annex on its southern portion. It is four and a half stories tall. The floor count includes a half-story attic, but not the building's two mezzanine levels, which are considered to be intermediate staircase landings. The first floor is at ground level but was formerly known as the basement. The structure measures 258 by 149 feet (79 by 45 m), the longer side being located on the west-east axis. The structure lies atop a low foundation made of granite. The roof was replaced three times: first with iron in the early 20th century, then with asphalt in 1978 or 1979, and finally with a stainless steel-over-rubber surface in 2001. The Guide to New York City Landmarks characterizes the building as containing "some of the finest mid-19th century interiors in New York".
  The building is located in the northern portion of City Hall Park, just north of New York City Hall. The portion of the park outside the courthouse building contains shaded walkways and lawns. The building faces 280 Broadway to the northwest, the Emigrant Industrial Savings Bank Building to the north, and Surrogate's Courthouse to the northeast, all of which are across Chambers Street. The Manhattan Municipal Building and the Brooklyn Bridge ramp are directly east of the Tweed Courthouse.
caption: Seen from the northeast
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