Old Courthouse

The Old St. Louis County Courthouse is a historic building in St. Louis, Missouri, originally built as a combined federal and state courthouse. The land was donated in 1816 by Judge John Baptiste Charles Lucas and the city's co-founder, Auguste Chouteau, on the condition that it be used permanently as the site of the courthouse. Built in the Federal style, the complex was the tallest habitable building in Missouri from 1864 to 1894. Over the years, the building was remodeled several times, including the replacement of the dome in 1861 with a cast-iron structure in the Italian Renaissance style, modeled on St. Peter's Basilica. The rotunda contains frescoes by Karl Ferdinand Wimar depicting historic events in the city's past.

Today the building is part of Gateway Arch National Park and is operated by the National Park Service for historical exhibits and events. You can tour two period-furnished courtrooms: the one in the east wing has been restored to its 1910 appearance, while the west wing shows details from the 1850s. The building also houses four historical galleries and National Park Service offices.

The significance of the site is underscored by the landmark legal cases heard here. These include the 1840s trial over the freedom of the enslaved man Dred Scott, as well as the case of Virginia Minor, who attempted to vote in an election in 1872. These cases had far-reaching effects on American jurisprudence. The building was also the setting for the city's last slave auction in 1861. As part of the national memorial, the Old Courthouse remains a key place for understanding local and national history.