Judiciary Square in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
A Courthouse Reborn
Civil War to Civil Rights
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The old City Hall/Courthouse endured hard use, was abandoned, and then was transformed. In 2009 it re-opened as the DC Court of Appeals, redesigned by Beyer Blinder Belle Architects & Planners, which modernized the interior while preserving its historic features. A graceful glass atrium defined the new main entrance, and the limestone walls gleamed. A grand new ceremonial courtroom was constructed beneath the south lawn.
The Court of Appeals now stands among other dignified courthouses. But in 1822, when the mayor and council moved into the new City Hall, their neighbors were the hastily built Washington County poorhouse, the Washington Jail, and eventually the Washington Infirmary, providing medical care to the poor.
The jail was especially bleak, confining criminals and debtors together with the insane. In addition the cells held fugitives from slavery, enslaved people, and free African Americans who had broken one of the Black Codes that governed their lives until DC emancipation in 1862. For example, African Americans could not be on the street past curfew without a permit. The city required all free African Americans to register and have a white sponsor.
By the 1870s the poorhouse and infirmary were long gone. The reviled Washington Jail was finally razed in 1878 after the new jail was built
this page online
Erected 2012 by Cultural Tourism DC. (Marker Number e.6.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Government & Politics. In addition, it is included in the Downtown Heritage Trail series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 2009.
Location. 38° 53.765′ N, 77° 1.063′ W. Marker is in Northwest Washington in Washington, District of Columbia. It is in Judiciary Square. It is at the intersection of E Street Northwest and 5th Street Northwest, on the right when traveling east on E Street Northwest. Located near the E Street entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 444 E Street Northwest, Washington DC 20001, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Washington Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Northeast, in the Upper South, in the Mid-Atlantic, in the Tidewater, and in the Chesapeake Bay Region. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region, North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker); Old City Hall and District of Columbia Court House (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sitting in Judgment (about 400 feet away); Old City Hall
![A Courthouse Reborn Marker [Reverse] image. Click for full size.](Photos6/694/Photo694010.jpg?122202234700PM "A Courthouse Reborn Marker [Reverse]. Click for full size.")
Another marker is no longer nearby. The National Building Museum (was about 500 feet away but has been permanently removed).
Also see . . . Judiciary Square, Washington, D.C. (Submitted on August 21, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.)
Photographed by Craig Swain, April 23, 2012
3. A Courthouse Reborn Marker
This is a previous iteration of the marker. While the text is identical, the formatting is slightly different from the current version.
Photographed by Craig Swain, April 23, 2012
4. Back of Marker from the previous version
Photographed by Craig Swain, April 23, 2012
6. North Entrance to the Courthouse Today
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, August 12, 2012
7. View of the deck at the building's northeast corner: quotations along the inner wall:
Martin Luther King, Jr.
Photographed by Richard E. Miller, August 12, 2012
8. View northward from the Courthouse toward Judiciary Square
with the National Law Enforcement Officers' Memorial (center), and the National Building Museum (formerly, the Pension Office Building) in the distance.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 30, 2023. It was originally submitted on May 20, 2012, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 1,002 times since then and 15 times this year. Last updated on August 21, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on December 2, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 3, 4. submitted on May 20, 2012, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 5. submitted on December 2, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 6. submitted on May 20, 2012, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 7, 8. submitted on August 14, 2012, by Richard E. Miller of Oxon Hill, Maryland.
