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Old St. Louis County Courthouse

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description Old St. Louis County Courthouse Overview

Old St. Louis County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in downtown St. Louis, Missouri, whose present building was completed in 1864. Built in a Greek Revival tradition and later altered, it served as a courthouse until 1930 and is associated with the freedom suits brought by Dred Scott and Harriet Scott, including proceedings held there in the nineteenth century.

The building is now part of Gateway Arch National Park and is preserved as a public historic site.

help Old St. Louis County Courthouse FAQ

When was the Old St. Louis County Courthouse completed?

The Old Courthouse was completed in 1864 as a Greek Revival civic building in downtown St. Louis. Its large dome and surrounding wings made it one of the city’s most recognizable nineteenth-century landmarks. [National Park Service](https://www.nps.gov/places/old-courthouse.htm)

What connection does the courthouse have to the Dred Scott case?

The first two Dred Scott trials took place there in 1847 and 1850, before the case eventually reached the United States Supreme Court. The courthouse therefore hosted important earlier proceedings, but the final 1857 Supreme Court decision was issued in Washington, D.C. [National Park Service](https://www.nps.gov/places/old-courthouse.htm)

Why did the Old St. Louis County Courthouse stop functioning as a courthouse?

It ceased judicial operations in 1930 after St. Louis required more court space and a newer courthouse had been completed nearby. The building was later preserved as a historic site connected to slavery, civil rights, and westward expansion. [National Park Service](https://home.nps.gov/jeff/planyourvisit/old-courthouse-architecture.htm)

Is the Old St. Louis County Courthouse part of a national park?

Yes. It is preserved within Gateway Arch National Park and is interpreted as part of the history of St. Louis and the United States legal system. Its Dred Scott connection is one of the main reasons the building remains nationally significant. [National Park Service](https://www.nps.gov/places/old-courthouse.htm)

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