Bergen County Court House
Encyclopedia
Bergen County, New Jersey
had a series of court houses. The current one stands in Hackensack, New Jersey
.
and they were Bergen, Essex
, Middlesex
and Monmouth
. In 1710 Hackensack became the county seat in Bergen. In 1715 the first courthouse was built and it was located three blocks from the current courthouse. The courthouse also housed a jail. The second courthouse was built in 1734 near the “Green”, but was burned by the British in 1780 during the Revolutionary War. The third courthouse, a log building, was then built in Oakland
. This was considered a temporary location and the courthouse later moved to the home of John Hopper in Ho-Ho-Kus
. After the war, the courthouse was moved to the house of Archibald Campbell of Hackensack.
Freeholder Peter Zabriskie later donated land near his Hackensack home located at the northeast corner of Main and Bridge Streets and in 1786 a new courthouse and jail opened. Peter Zabriskie’s home, called “The Mansion” was also called “Washington’s Headquarters” because George Washington
frequently was a guest there. Years later the Mansion became a hotel. The Mansion was then torn down in 1945. In 1822 due to space limitations, a new courthouse was built at the location of the current courthouse and it was utilized for over 90 years.
The current courthouse is the sixth Bergen County courthouse. James Riely Gordon
, a civil engineer, born in Winchester, Virginia
, won a competition to design the Bergen County courthouse. The style of the courthouse building is known as American Renaissance
. Construction began in 1910 and was completed in 1912 at a cost of one million dollars. The jail was also completed in 1912 and the style of the jail is medieval revival. The courthouse was placed on the New Jersey and National Registers of historic places in 1982 and 1983.
The Green is a public square located across the street from the courthouse at the corner of Main Street and Court Street. On the west side of the green is a marker showing where the second courthouse stood before it was burned by the British in 1780. A bronze statue is located at the intersection of Court Street and Washington Place. This statue is of General Enoch Poor
. General Poor, a New Hampshire
native, was a hero at the Battle of Saratoga
in 1777. General Poor served under General Washington. He was in New Jersey organizing an army to raid New York City
. General Poor died in 1780 and is buried across the street from the Green at the Dutch Reformed Church
. General Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette attended General Poor’s funeral.
in Rome
. On the first floor of the rotunda building there was a fountain. The fountain was removed in 1930. In the 1930’s as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), murals were painted in courtrooms 253 and 352. In the early 1940’s an additional mural was added in courtroom 357. All three murals were designed by Teaneck
resident William Winter. The murals in room 352 (formerly known as the Supreme Court Room) represent the roots of American Law. The murals in room 253 (formerly known as the Freeholder Chambers) represent local historical sights. The murals in room 357 (formerly known as the Circuit Court Chamber) represent Roman Law. There are four stained glass skylights in the rotunda building. The first is located in the rotunda dome and it measures eight feet in diameter. Eight trapezoidal sections carry the name of a historically significant English or American jurist. The three remaining skylights contain the Bergen County seal. The glass utilized for these skylights was made by M.J. Lamb. The interior of the rotunda and its courtrooms were treated with marble, scagliola, bronze and cast iron.
The exterior walls of the courthouse rotunda building were made from Vermont
marble. On top of the dome is a copper figure entitled “Enlightenment Giving Power.” Around the drum of the dome is a relief consisting of forty panels that represent twelve tablets of the first Roman Law. Five bronze eagles adorn the balustrades on the corners of the building. The eagles and “Enlightenment” were resurfaced with gold leaf in 1994. There are four sculptures on the front of the rotunda building that faces Court Street. Two of the sculptures each contain three figures. The left group consists of Truth holding a mirror flanked by Justice and Integrity. The right group consists of Honor flanked by Law and Order. There are two statues located on the walls of the main steps. The left statue represents History and the right statue represents Law.
Construction for the Administration Building started in 1929 and was completed in 1933. The style of this building is called neoclassical. The exterior walls of the Administration Building were made from Arkansas
limestone. The Annex building that joins the Administration Building with the rotunda building was completed in 1958.
Bergen County, New Jersey
Bergen County is the most populous county of the state of New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, its population was 905,116. The county is part of the New York City Metropolitan Area. Its county seat is Hackensack...
had a series of court houses. The current one stands in Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is a city in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States and the county seat of Bergen County. Although informally called Hackensack, it was officially named New Barbadoes Township until 1921. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 43,010....
.
History
The current Bergen County Courthouse is not the first courthouse but actually the sixth courthouse built for Bergen County. In 1683 four counties were created in East JerseyEast Jersey
The Province of East Jersey and the Province of West Jersey were two distinct, separately governed parts of the Province of New Jersey that existed as separate provinces for 28 years, between 1674 and 1702. East Jersey's capital was located at Perth Amboy...
and they were Bergen, Essex
Essex County, New Jersey
Essex County is a county located in the northeastern part of the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the United States 2010 Census, the population was 783,969, ranking it third in the state after Bergen County and Middlesex County; Essex County's population has declined from 786,147 as of the bureau's...
, Middlesex
Middlesex County, New Jersey
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 750,162 people, 265,815 households, and 190,855 families residing in the county. The population density was 2,422 people per square mile . There were 273,637 housing units at an average density of 884 per square mile...
and Monmouth
Monmouth County, New Jersey
Monmouth County is a county located in the U.S. state of New Jersey, within the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 Census, the population was 630,380, up from 615,301 at the 2000 census. Its county seat is Freehold Borough. The most populous municipality is Middletown Township with...
. In 1710 Hackensack became the county seat in Bergen. In 1715 the first courthouse was built and it was located three blocks from the current courthouse. The courthouse also housed a jail. The second courthouse was built in 1734 near the “Green”, but was burned by the British in 1780 during the Revolutionary War. The third courthouse, a log building, was then built in Oakland
Oakland, New Jersey
Oakland is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough population was 12,754.Oakland was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 8, 1902, from portions of Franklin Township.-History:The Van Allen House...
. This was considered a temporary location and the courthouse later moved to the home of John Hopper in Ho-Ho-Kus
Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey
Ho-Ho-Kus is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough population was 4,078. It is the home of several historical landmarks, including the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn and The Hermitage....
. After the war, the courthouse was moved to the house of Archibald Campbell of Hackensack.
Freeholder Peter Zabriskie later donated land near his Hackensack home located at the northeast corner of Main and Bridge Streets and in 1786 a new courthouse and jail opened. Peter Zabriskie’s home, called “The Mansion” was also called “Washington’s Headquarters” because George Washington
George Washington
George Washington was the dominant military and political leader of the new United States of America from 1775 to 1799. He led the American victory over Great Britain in the American Revolutionary War as commander-in-chief of the Continental Army from 1775 to 1783, and presided over the writing of...
frequently was a guest there. Years later the Mansion became a hotel. The Mansion was then torn down in 1945. In 1822 due to space limitations, a new courthouse was built at the location of the current courthouse and it was utilized for over 90 years.
The current courthouse is the sixth Bergen County courthouse. James Riely Gordon
James Riely Gordon
James Riely Gordon was an architect of courthouses throughout the United States and the state of Texas in particular. Gordon's specialty was constructing public buildings mainly in the Romanesque Revival style. His most successful plan was that of a Greek cross with a square central stairwell and...
, a civil engineer, born in Winchester, Virginia
Winchester, Virginia
Winchester is an independent city located in the northwestern portion of the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. The city's population was 26,203 according to the 2010 Census...
, won a competition to design the Bergen County courthouse. The style of the courthouse building is known as American Renaissance
American Renaissance
In the history of American architecture and the arts, the American Renaissance was the period in 1835-1880 characterized by renewed national self-confidence and a feeling that the United States was the heir to Greek democracy, Roman law, and Renaissance humanism...
. Construction began in 1910 and was completed in 1912 at a cost of one million dollars. The jail was also completed in 1912 and the style of the jail is medieval revival. The courthouse was placed on the New Jersey and National Registers of historic places in 1982 and 1983.
Enoch Poor
Enoch Poor was a brigadier general in the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War. He was a ship builder and merchant from Exeter, New Hampshire.-Biography:...
. General Poor, a New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
native, was a hero at the Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Saratoga
The Battles of Saratoga conclusively decided the fate of British General John Burgoyne's army in the American War of Independence and are generally regarded as a turning point in the war. The battles were fought eighteen days apart on the same ground, south of Saratoga, New York...
in 1777. General Poor served under General Washington. He was in New Jersey organizing an army to raid New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
. General Poor died in 1780 and is buried across the street from the Green at the Dutch Reformed Church
First Reformed Dutch Church, Hackensack
First Dutch Reformed Church, also known as the "Old Church on the Green" is located in Hackensack, New Jersey, United States, where it sits in the churchyard of the church by the same name, the current building being constructed in 1791. The east wall of the building is of particular interest...
. General Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette attended General Poor’s funeral.
Construction
The interior dome of the rotunda area of the courthouse is modeled after the PantheonPantheon, Rome
The Pantheon ,Rarely Pantheum. This appears in Pliny's Natural History in describing this edifice: Agrippae Pantheum decoravit Diogenes Atheniensis; in columnis templi eius Caryatides probantur inter pauca operum, sicut in fastigio posita signa, sed propter altitudinem loci minus celebrata.from ,...
in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
. On the first floor of the rotunda building there was a fountain. The fountain was removed in 1930. In the 1930’s as part of the Works Progress Administration (WPA), murals were painted in courtrooms 253 and 352. In the early 1940’s an additional mural was added in courtroom 357. All three murals were designed by Teaneck
Teaneck, New Jersey
Teaneck is a township in Bergen County, New Jersey, and a suburb in the New York metropolitan area. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 39,776, making it the second-most populous among the 70 municipalities in Bergen County....
resident William Winter. The murals in room 352 (formerly known as the Supreme Court Room) represent the roots of American Law. The murals in room 253 (formerly known as the Freeholder Chambers) represent local historical sights. The murals in room 357 (formerly known as the Circuit Court Chamber) represent Roman Law. There are four stained glass skylights in the rotunda building. The first is located in the rotunda dome and it measures eight feet in diameter. Eight trapezoidal sections carry the name of a historically significant English or American jurist. The three remaining skylights contain the Bergen County seal. The glass utilized for these skylights was made by M.J. Lamb. The interior of the rotunda and its courtrooms were treated with marble, scagliola, bronze and cast iron.
The exterior walls of the courthouse rotunda building were made from Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
marble. On top of the dome is a copper figure entitled “Enlightenment Giving Power.” Around the drum of the dome is a relief consisting of forty panels that represent twelve tablets of the first Roman Law. Five bronze eagles adorn the balustrades on the corners of the building. The eagles and “Enlightenment” were resurfaced with gold leaf in 1994. There are four sculptures on the front of the rotunda building that faces Court Street. Two of the sculptures each contain three figures. The left group consists of Truth holding a mirror flanked by Justice and Integrity. The right group consists of Honor flanked by Law and Order. There are two statues located on the walls of the main steps. The left statue represents History and the right statue represents Law.
Construction for the Administration Building started in 1929 and was completed in 1933. The style of this building is called neoclassical. The exterior walls of the Administration Building were made from Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
limestone. The Annex building that joins the Administration Building with the rotunda building was completed in 1958.
In popular culture
The historical charm of the courthouse has even caught the eye of Hollywood. Scenes from the following television shows and movies feature the courthouse:Film
- HackersHackers (film)Hackers is a 1995 American thriller film directed by Iain Softley and starring Angelina Jolie, Jonny Lee Miller, Renoly Santiago, Matthew Lillard, Lorraine Bracco and Fisher Stevens...
- Before and After
- The Devil's AdvocateThe Devil's Advocate (film)The Devil's Advocate is a 1997 American horror film directed by Taylor Hackford starring Keanu Reeves, Al Pacino and Charlize Theron, and based on a novel by Andrew Neiderman....
- Changing LanesChanging LanesChanging Lanes is a 2002 drama-thriller film directed by Roger Michell and starring Ben Affleck and Samuel L. Jackson. It was released on April 12, 2002 in North America by Paramount Pictures.-Plot:...