Livingston County Courthouse (New York)
Encyclopedia
Livingston County Courthouse in Livingston County, New York
is a building in Geneseo, New York
, USA, located on 2 Court Street. The court house was designed in 1898 by the Rochester
architectural firm of Bragdon & Hillman, which included architects Claude Fayette Bragdon
and J. Con. Hillman. Their work on the court house was featured in exhibitions published by architectural organizations.
In 2000 the Livingston County Board of Supervisors approved US$
77,000 in renovations for the courthouse, which included exterior painting work and security improvement. Judge Ronald Cicoria, who retired in 2005 as the longest sitting judge in New York State
, was originally inspired to study the practice of law while walking past the courthouse on his way to class at the State University of New York at Geneseo
.
In 2001 a fund campaign began to build a statue of James S. Wadsworth
on the grounds of the courthouse, modeled after the bronze statue of Wadsworth at Gettysburg National Military Park
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
. In February 2002, the Livingston County Board of Supervisors agreed to allow the statue to be built on the front lawn of the courthouse. The fund raising campaign had its inaugural event on April 5, 2002, with a speech at the State University of New York at Geneseo by Pulitzer Prize
winner and Civil War
historian James M. McPherson
.
architectural firm of Bragdon & Hillman, which included architects Claude Fayette Bragdon
and J. Con. Hillman. The architects designed the building in 1898. Writing in Rochester History published by the Rochester Public Library, Erville Costa comments: "The Livingston County Courthouse, which they built in 1898, reflects Bragdon's conviction at the time that colonial architecture was a more honest expression of a truly national spirit than either the eclectic or Richardsonian architecture which dominated the scene."
The "Decorative Scheme for the Court Room" and floor plans of the new courthouse were featured in the Catalogue of the Thirteenth Annual Exhibition of the Architectural League of New York, by the Architectural League of New York
, published in 1898. The entrance to the courthouse was featured in the Catalogue of the Fourteenth Annual Exhibition of the Architectural League of New York, published in 1899, and in the 1899 Catalogue of the Annual Exhibition of the Saint Louis Architectural Club.
In 2000, the Livingston County Board of Supervisors approved $77,000 in renovations for the courthouse. This included $64,800 for exterior painting work on the building, and $13,100 for a metal detector unit to be installed at the front entrance of the building.
on the courthouse grounds. Wadsworth was a general in the American Civil War
and a native of Geneseo. The statue was intended to be a 9-foot replica of the bronze statue of Wadsworth built in 1914 on the battlefield at Gettysburg National Military Park
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
. In February 2002 the Livingston County Board of Supervisors agreed to allow the statue to be built in front of the courthouse, at the northern end of Main Street. "It seems like it's in line with the historic nature of the courthouse and the history of the region," said County Administrator Nick Mazza in a statement in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
. The fund raising campaign was launched with an inaugural event April 5, 2002 with a speech on civil war history given at the Wadsworth Auditorium at the State University of New York at Geneseo by Pulitzer Prize
winner and civil war historian James M. McPherson. The statue campaign was headed by Judith Hunter, a research scholar at the State University of New York at Geneseo.
In 2002 the Livingston County District Attorney was Thomas Moran. Thomas VanStrydonck served as a State Supreme Court Justice and gave decisions at the courthouse in 2006. In 2009 Diane C. Murphy was the Chief Clerk of the court.
Livingston County, New York
As of the census of 2000, there were 64,328 people, 22,150 households, and 15,349 families residing in the county. The population density was 102 people per square mile . There were 24,023 housing units at an average density of 38 per square mile...
is a building in Geneseo, New York
Geneseo, New York
Geneseo is the name of a town and its village in Livingston County in the Finger Lakes region of New York, USA, outside of Rochester, New York. The town's population is approximately 9,600, of which about 7,600 live in the village...
, USA, located on 2 Court Street. The court house was designed in 1898 by the Rochester
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
architectural firm of Bragdon & Hillman, which included architects Claude Fayette Bragdon
Claude Fayette Bragdon
Claude Fayette Bragdon was an American architect, writer, and stage designer based in Rochester, New York, up to World War I, then in New York City....
and J. Con. Hillman. Their work on the court house was featured in exhibitions published by architectural organizations.
In 2000 the Livingston County Board of Supervisors approved US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
77,000 in renovations for the courthouse, which included exterior painting work and security improvement. Judge Ronald Cicoria, who retired in 2005 as the longest sitting judge in New York State
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, was originally inspired to study the practice of law while walking past the courthouse on his way to class at the State University of New York at Geneseo
State University of New York at Geneseo
The State University of New York at Geneseo—also known as SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo State, or, colloquially, Geneseo—is located in Geneseo, Livingston County, New York, United States. It is a University College of the State University of New York...
.
In 2001 a fund campaign began to build a statue of James S. Wadsworth
James S. Wadsworth
James Samuel Wadsworth was a philanthropist, politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was killed in battle during the Battle of the Wilderness of 1864.-Early years:...
on the grounds of the courthouse, modeled after the bronze statue of Wadsworth at Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg National Military Park
The Gettysburg National Military Park is an administrative unit of the National Park Service's northeast region and a subunit of federal properties of Adams County, Pennsylvania, with the same name, including the Gettysburg National Cemetery...
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
. In February 2002, the Livingston County Board of Supervisors agreed to allow the statue to be built on the front lawn of the courthouse. The fund raising campaign had its inaugural event on April 5, 2002, with a speech at the State University of New York at Geneseo by Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner and Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
historian James M. McPherson
James M. McPherson
James M. McPherson is an American Civil War historian, and is the George Henry Davis '86 Professor Emeritus of United States History at Princeton University. He received the 1989 Pulitzer Prize for Battle Cry of Freedom, his most famous book...
.
Building history
Work on the Courthouse was completed in 1901 to designs by the RochesterRochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
architectural firm of Bragdon & Hillman, which included architects Claude Fayette Bragdon
Claude Fayette Bragdon
Claude Fayette Bragdon was an American architect, writer, and stage designer based in Rochester, New York, up to World War I, then in New York City....
and J. Con. Hillman. The architects designed the building in 1898. Writing in Rochester History published by the Rochester Public Library, Erville Costa comments: "The Livingston County Courthouse, which they built in 1898, reflects Bragdon's conviction at the time that colonial architecture was a more honest expression of a truly national spirit than either the eclectic or Richardsonian architecture which dominated the scene."
The "Decorative Scheme for the Court Room" and floor plans of the new courthouse were featured in the Catalogue of the Thirteenth Annual Exhibition of the Architectural League of New York, by the Architectural League of New York
Architectural League of New York
The Architectural League of New York is a non-profit organization "for creative and intellectual work in architecture, urbanism, and related disciplines"....
, published in 1898. The entrance to the courthouse was featured in the Catalogue of the Fourteenth Annual Exhibition of the Architectural League of New York, published in 1899, and in the 1899 Catalogue of the Annual Exhibition of the Saint Louis Architectural Club.
In 2000, the Livingston County Board of Supervisors approved $77,000 in renovations for the courthouse. This included $64,800 for exterior painting work on the building, and $13,100 for a metal detector unit to be installed at the front entrance of the building.
Wadsworth statue campaign
In 2001, a campaign began to raise $100,000 to build a statue of James S. WadsworthJames S. Wadsworth
James Samuel Wadsworth was a philanthropist, politician, and a Union general in the American Civil War. He was killed in battle during the Battle of the Wilderness of 1864.-Early years:...
on the courthouse grounds. Wadsworth was a general in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
and a native of Geneseo. The statue was intended to be a 9-foot replica of the bronze statue of Wadsworth built in 1914 on the battlefield at Gettysburg National Military Park
Gettysburg National Military Park
The Gettysburg National Military Park is an administrative unit of the National Park Service's northeast region and a subunit of federal properties of Adams County, Pennsylvania, with the same name, including the Gettysburg National Cemetery...
in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Gettysburg is a borough that is the county seat, part of the Gettysburg Battlefield, and the eponym for the 1863 Battle of Gettysburg. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Military Park and has 3 institutions of higher learning: Lutheran Theological Seminary, Gettysburg College, and...
. In February 2002 the Livingston County Board of Supervisors agreed to allow the statue to be built in front of the courthouse, at the northern end of Main Street. "It seems like it's in line with the historic nature of the courthouse and the history of the region," said County Administrator Nick Mazza in a statement in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
Democrat and Chronicle
The Democrat and Chronicle is the most widely circulated daily newspaper in the greater Rochester, New York area. Located at 55 Exchange Boulevard in downtown Rochester, the Democrat and Chronicle operates under the ownership of Gannett. The paper's production facility is located in the town of...
. The fund raising campaign was launched with an inaugural event April 5, 2002 with a speech on civil war history given at the Wadsworth Auditorium at the State University of New York at Geneseo by Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winner and civil war historian James M. McPherson. The statue campaign was headed by Judith Hunter, a research scholar at the State University of New York at Geneseo.
Livingston County Court
Judge Gerard Alonzo served as a Livingston County Court judge from 1996 to 2005, and Judge J. Robert Houston served from 1973 to 1993. Judge Ronald Cicoria served at Livingston County Court in 1999. Cicoria was first inspired to study law while passing by the courthouse on his way to class at the State University of New York at Geneseo. After thirty years of service, Cicoria retired in 2005 – at the time he was the longest sitting judge in New York State, as well as the longest sitting judge in the history of Livingston County.In 2002 the Livingston County District Attorney was Thomas Moran. Thomas VanStrydonck served as a State Supreme Court Justice and gave decisions at the courthouse in 2006. In 2009 Diane C. Murphy was the Chief Clerk of the court.
See also
- Geneseo Historic DistrictGeneseo Historic DistrictGeneseo Historic District, known also as Main Street Historic District, is a historic district in Geneseo, New York. It was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1991....
- Robert Livingston (1746–1813)
Further reading
- Proctor, L. B. Livingston county courthouse, its surroundings and historic memories, O. (Alb. 1897) — Cited in:
External links
- Livingston Supreme & County Court, website, 7th Judicial District
- Livingston County webpage