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 The Surrogate's Courthouse
31 Chambers Street
New York, NY 10007
Date Built: 1899-1907
Architect: John R. Thomas
Surrogate's Courthouse is located on the
northwest corner of Chambers and Centre Streets in downtown Manhattan and
houses the Court of the same name.
The building was originally
designed for use as a Hall of Records and this was its original name. The
Surrogate's Court was one of
the original tenants, with courtrooms, offices and chambers on the 5th floor.
The building was renamed the Surrogate's Courthouse in 1962.
Planned since 1888 for use
as a Hall of Records and home to Surrogate's Court, it took 8 years
to build, from 1899 to 1907, and cost over $7 million. It was designed
by John R. Thomas, who adapted his prize-winning design for a new City
Hall which was never built. When he died, the Tammany Hall architects
Horgan & Slattery took over. The building replaced the old Hall
of Records in City Hall Park.
 Built of Hallowell, Maine
granite, the seven-story, steel-framed structure was intended to be
a fire resistant storehouse for the City's records. The front of the
building has a triple arched entrance with eight, thirty-six foot high
granite Corinthian columns above. A tall mansard roof caps the facade.
This Beaux Arts style masterpiece
is a major example of the early twentieth century City Beautiful movement.
The idea behind the "City Beautiful" movement was to transform
cities with spectacular, imposing classical buildings and monuments
to provide an uplifting experience for the community. The designer and
principal architect, Thomas, said to be responsible for more public
and semipublic buildings than any other architect in the country, considered
this building his masterpiece.
Called the most Parisian thing in New
York at the time it was built, the grand marble staircase in the first
floor rotunda reflects the architect's appreciation of the Paris Opera
House. Philip Martiny and Henry K. Bush-Brown, both respected,
prize-winning sculptors, produced the 54 sculptures on the exterior. The
statues represent allegorical subjects such as Philosophy and 
Law, as well as the seasons. The Philip Martiny sculptures
on Chambers Street represent figures in New York City history, including
DeWitt Clinton and Peter Stuyvesant. (When Centre Street was widened
in 1961, the Philip Martiny sculptures at that entrance were moved to
the front of the New York County Courthouse at 60 Centre Street.) William
DeLeftwich Dodge, a famous muralist, produced the interior mosaics depicting
the signs of the zodiac. The ornate courtrooms are decorated in gilded
plaster and carved wood paneling in Santo Domingo mahogany and English
oak. Other lavish interior decoration includes chandeliers and detailed
bronze door knobs. An enclosed courtyard in the interior of the building
extends from the first to third floors with a skylight on the fourth
floor.
The Surrogate's Courthouse is an anchor
for the Civic Center, because of its corner location across from City Hall
Park, its impeccable proportions, and lavish stone carving. Its records
are citywide and it is heavily used by the public from all five boroughs.
The interior is a popular site for filming and can be seen in dozens of
movies and commercials.
 Surrogate Court is a designated New York City
Landmark.
Photo of the Building by: John
Castellaneta, DCAS
Interior Photos by: Ralph
Selitzer, DCAS
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