Dutchess County Court House
Encyclopedia
The Dutchess County
Courthouse is located at 10 Market Street in downtown Poughkeepsie
, New York
, United States
. It is the third county courthouse to stand on that site.
The first was authorized by the provincial assembly in 1717 and built in 1720, and would host New York's debate on ratifying the U.S. Constitution during the brief period when Poughkeepsie served as the state capital in 1788. It was destroyed in an 1806 fire. Three years later the state legislature appropriated funds for a new one, which stood for almost a century. An early tenant beside the courts was Matthew Vassar
, later founder of Vassar College
, who ran a saloon and oyster bar
in the basement.
It was replaced by the current structure, built in 1903
at a cost of a half million dollars and opened and dedicated just before the end of the year. It was designed by local architect William J. Beardsley in a Classical Revival style
, a four-story building with red brick facing and Palladian windows in the second and fifth-story center bays
with stucco
decoration above. Because of a requirement in the original deed
for the land, one of the original 1720 courthouse's jail cells must remain in the basement of this or any subsequent court building.
Later alterations were made under the direction of Charles Cooke, who designed the nearby offices
of the Poughkeepsie Journal
. The building's cornice
is the only element that has been significantly changed from the original design. It has also been joined to the Poughkeepsie Trust Company
building to its immediate east on Main Street, which serves as the district attorney
's offices.
In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
. Today, it houses judges' chambers and clerks' offices as well as courtrooms. Most of the court's lesser functions, such as property recordkeeping, have been moved to an annex next door, built in the 1960s. In the late 1990s, it was the venue for former Dutchess assistant district attorney Stephen Pagones's defamation suit against Al Sharpton
, C. Vernon Mason
and Alton Maddox over allegations they made against him during the Tawana Brawley
affair.
Dutchess County, New York
Dutchess County is a county located in the U.S. state of New York, in the state's Mid-Hudson Region of the Hudson Valley. The 2010 census lists the population as 297,488...
Courthouse is located at 10 Market Street in downtown Poughkeepsie
Poughkeepsie (city), New York
Poughkeepsie is a city in the state of New York, United States, which serves as the county seat of Dutchess County. Poughkeepsie is located in the Hudson River Valley midway between New York City and Albany...
, New York
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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It is the third county courthouse to stand on that site.
The first was authorized by the provincial assembly in 1717 and built in 1720, and would host New York's debate on ratifying the U.S. Constitution during the brief period when Poughkeepsie served as the state capital in 1788. It was destroyed in an 1806 fire. Three years later the state legislature appropriated funds for a new one, which stood for almost a century. An early tenant beside the courts was Matthew Vassar
Matthew Vassar
Matthew Vassar was an English-born American brewer and merchant. He founded the eponymous Vassar College in 1861.He was a cousin of John Ellison Vassar.-Background:...
, later founder of Vassar College
Vassar College
Vassar College is a private, coeducational liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York, in the United States. The Vassar campus comprises over and more than 100 buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, ranging in style from Collegiate Gothic to International,...
, who ran a saloon and oyster bar
Oyster bar
The term oyster bar describes either an amenity within a restaurant or bar, or a category of restaurant that specializes in serving fresh oysters. The oysters are shucked on site and normally behind a counter, within sight of the customers....
in the basement.
It was replaced by the current structure, built in 1903
1903 in architecture
The year 1903 in architecture involved some significant events.-Buildings:* The Amsterdam Stock Exchange designed by Hendrik Berlage is opened.* Giles Gilbert Scott wins the competition to design Liverpool Cathedral....
at a cost of a half million dollars and opened and dedicated just before the end of the year. It was designed by local architect William J. Beardsley in a Classical Revival style
Architectural style
Architectural styles classify architecture in terms of the use of form, techniques, materials, time period, region and other stylistic influences. It overlaps with, and emerges from the study of the evolution and history of architecture...
, a four-story building with red brick facing and Palladian windows in the second and fifth-story center bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
with stucco
Stucco
Stucco or render is a material made of an aggregate, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as decorative coating for walls and ceilings and as a sculptural and artistic material in architecture...
decoration above. Because of a requirement in the original deed
Deed
A deed is any legal instrument in writing which passes, or affirms or confirms something which passes, an interest, right, or property and that is signed, attested, delivered, and in some jurisdictions sealed...
for the land, one of the original 1720 courthouse's jail cells must remain in the basement of this or any subsequent court building.
Later alterations were made under the direction of Charles Cooke, who designed the nearby offices
Poughkeepsie Journal Building
The Poughkeepsie Journal Building is the main office of that newspaper, in the city of Poughkeepsie, New York, USA. It is located at Civic Center Plaza, the north end of Market Street....
of the Poughkeepsie Journal
Poughkeepsie Journal
The Poughkeepsie Journal is a newspaper based in Poughkeepsie, New York owned by the Gannett Company, who bought the paper in 1977. Founded in 1785 , the Journal is the oldest paper in New York state, and is the third-oldest in the nation...
. The building's cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
is the only element that has been significantly changed from the original design. It has also been joined to the Poughkeepsie Trust Company
Poughkeepsie Trust Company
The Poughkeepsie Trust Company building is located on Main Street in that city in the U.S. state of New York. It is immediately to the east of, and joined to, the Dutchess County Court House....
building to its immediate east on Main Street, which serves as the district attorney
District attorney
In many jurisdictions in the United States, a District Attorney is an elected or appointed government official who represents the government in the prosecution of criminal offenses. The district attorney is the highest officeholder in the jurisdiction's legal department and supervises a staff of...
's offices.
In 1982, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
. Today, it houses judges' chambers and clerks' offices as well as courtrooms. Most of the court's lesser functions, such as property recordkeeping, have been moved to an annex next door, built in the 1960s. In the late 1990s, it was the venue for former Dutchess assistant district attorney Stephen Pagones's defamation suit against Al Sharpton
Al Sharpton
Alfred Charles "Al" Sharpton, Jr. is an American Baptist minister, civil rights activist, and television/radio talk show host. In 2004, he was a candidate for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. presidential election...
, C. Vernon Mason
C. Vernon Mason
C. Vernon Mason is an African-American lawyer from Tucker, Arkansas. Best known for his involvement in several high profile New York City cases in the 1980s, including the Bernhard Goetz, Howard Beach, and Tawana Brawley incidents, Mason has not practiced law since his 1995 disbarment. He then...
and Alton Maddox over allegations they made against him during the Tawana Brawley
Tawana Brawley
Tawana Brawley is an African-American woman from Wappinger, New York. In 1987, at the age of 15, she received national media attention in the United States for accusing six white men, some of whom were police officers, of having raped her...
affair.