The same week that Jefferson City breaks ground for a new federal courthouse at the MSP redevelopment area we will also celebrate the 100th birthday of another courthouse, a venerable part of the city's streetscape. It was not until 1877 that the Supreme Court was assured of a permanent site in the Capital City. Its first home was a building on the southeast corner of the Capitol grounds. The French Renaissance style of the present Missouri Supreme Court Building was popularized by the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis. In fact, surplus funds from the Fair were used to construct the building. Franklin Ferris (as in, the wheel) was the general counsel for the Fair project, and he served on the court in the new building from 1910 to 1912.
Tours will be conducted at the open house this Thursday, October 23, from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Note the stained glass floor in the library balconies and the chambers where some judges resided, including some recent appointees. The original Dred Scott manuscripts will no doubt be on display.