Existing comment:
Finishing the Work:
As the building neared completion, Cass Gilbert died of a heart attack of May 17, 1934, during a trip to England. "I think that the Supreme Court Building," stated Chief Justice Hughes, "will be a lasting memorial to his great ability." The project's other architects, Cass Gilbert Jr. and John R. Rockart, managed the project to completion and designed the furniture for the building. Due to earlier cost-saving measures, all of the furniture, lighting, carpers, and other fixtures were funded out of the original appropriation, yet almost $94,000 was returned to the US Treasury. On April 4, 1935, the government took occupancy of the building, but the Court did not move until the Term ended in June. Staff moved in over the summer and fall as the final details were completed. Despite ongoing work, the building was opened to the public, and welcomed nearly 85,000 visitors before the Court's first sitting in October 1935. |