Existing comment:
You are standing in what was once the courtroom where the famous Dred Scott case was heard in 1847. Imagine that the walls on both sides of this hallway have disappeared, and that you are standing in the middle of a large, well decorated courtroom. That is the way this space would have looked in 1847.
The west wing originally consisted of two large courtrooms -- one on the first floor and one on the second floor. However, serious structural problems became evident shortly after the wing was built. The second story courtroom was buckling, and the first floor ceiling was in danger of collapsing. The problem was solved in 1855 when two support walls were built, dividing the original courtroom into two smaller rooms and this corridor.
Dred Scott's suit for freedom, which began in this courthouse, led to a series of appeals which ended in an 1857 Supreme Court decision against him. The controversial decision further divided Americans over the issue of slavery and contributed to the outbreak of the Civil War three years later. No depictions of the courtroom in which this landmark case began are known to exist. However, Courtroom Number 4, immediately above you on the second floor, will give you an idea of the original size of the "Dred Scott Courtroom." |