Existing comment:
West Courtroom:
This elegant courtroom served as the Court of Common Please from 1843 to 1865. It stands immediately above the room in which the Dred Scott case was heard in 1847 and 1850. The lower courtroom was divided by walls in 1855 because the ceiling above was structurally weak. Because of the 1855 alterations, the Dred Scott courtroom no longer exists, but we can get some impression of what it looked like from this courtroom. After 1865, this courtroom was used by Circuit Court Division 3, and in 1896 became Circuit Cort Division 4, a designation still painted on the glass transom above the door. Original furnishings in the room include the 1870 judge's bench, which was moved to its current location in 1903. The semicircular bar or balustrade in the middle of the room dates back to 1883. |