When the New York County Courthouse opened in February 1927, the ceilings and walls on the first and second floors and on other floors were devoid of decoration. The architect, Guy Lowell, had planned for the addition of murals to various walls and ceilings. He had selected a principal muralist to conduct and oversee this work and designs for the murals had been prepared. Lowell’s death just before the courthouse was dedicated and financial difficulties growing out of the Great Depression caused delay in the implementation of these plans. During the 1930’s, under the aegis of the Works Progress Administration and one of its predecessors, murals were added to the first and second floor ceilings and walls and to walls in certain locations on other floors. These murals are among the glories of the courthouse and, indeed, of the artistic patrimony of New York City. For more about them, including photographs, see the following, all of which were created with the assistance, encouragement, and support of the Historical Society of the New York Courts:
Summaries on the Murals of the New York County Courthouse
A Comprehensive and Annotated Study of the Murals
Art in Troubled Times: The Depression-Era Murals of the New York County Courthouse
by Robert C. Meade, Jr., Esq.
Historical Society of the New York Courts, 2025
About the Courthouse
