Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State

The Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State, First Department, is a courthouse at the northeast corner of Madison Avenue and 25th Street in the Flatiron District neighborhood of Manhattan in New York City. The courthouse, used by the First Department of the New York Supreme Court's Appellate Division, is composed of two sections. The original three-story building on 25th Street and Madison Avenue, designed by James Brown Lord, was finished in 1899. A six-story annex to the north, on Madison Avenue, was designed by Rogers & Butler and completed in 1955.

Appellate Division Courthouse
of New York State, First Department
New York City Landmark No. 0235, 1098
Location35 East 25th Street
Manhattan, New York City
Coordinates40°44′32″N 73°59′12″W
Built1896–1899
ArchitectJames Brown Lord
Rogers & Butler (1952 annex)
Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th century revivals, Renaissance Revival
NRHP reference No.82003366
NYSRHP No.06101.001808
NYCL No.0235, 1098
Significant dates
Added to NRHPJuly 26, 1982
Designated NYSRHPJune 11, 1982
Designated NYCLJune 7, 1966 (exterior)
September 22, 1981 (interior)

The facade of both the original building and its annex are made almost entirely out of marble. The courthouse's exterior was originally decorated with 21 sculptures from 16 separate artists; one of the sculptures was removed in 1955. The main entrance is through a double-height colonnade on 25th Street with a decorative pediment; there is also a smaller colonnade on Madison Avenue. The facade of the annex is plainer in design, with a Holocaust Memorial by Harriet Feigenbaum. Inside the courthouse, ten artists created murals for the main hall and the courtroom. The interiors are decorated with elements such as marble walls, woodwork, and paneled and coffered ceilings; the courtroom also has stained-glass windows and a stained-glass ceiling dome. The remainder of the building contains various offices, judges' chambers, and other rooms.

The Appellate Division Courthouse was proposed in the late 1890s to accommodate the Appellate Division's First Department, which had been housed in rented quarters since its founding. Construction took place between 1896 and 1899, with a formal opening on January 2, 1900. Following unsuccessful attempts to relocate the court in the 1930s and 1940s, the northern annex was built between 1952 and 1955, and the original courthouse was also renovated. The structure was again renovated in the 1980s and in the 2000s. Throughout the courthouse's existence, its architecture has received largely positive commentary. The Appellate Division Courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, and its facade and interior are both New York City designated landmarks.

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