A City Hall Virtual Tour TOUR OFFICE | COURTYARD | N. PORTAL | W. PORTAL | S. PORTAL | E. PORTAL | MAYOR'S RECEPTION RM. | CONVERSATION HALL | NE STAIRS | CAUCUS ROOM | SUPREME COURT | GRAND STAIR | LAW LIBRARY | TOWER | EXIT

hiladelphia was merged by the State Leglislature in the Consolidation Act of 1854 into a county as well as a city municipality. Consequently, the State Supreme Court, the nation's oldest high appellate court, operated out of Philadelphia as a circuit court on a rotating basis. In the new City Hall, several rooms on the south side, the judicial wing, were set aside for the State Court. Possibly due to the fact that the Building Commission was a state agency, as well as the fact that the State court overruled a bid by the City to take over the construction, the State Supreme Court was the first official agency to become a permanent occupant of the new building.

ccupying temporary quarters on the second floor as early as 1877, the Court's fourth floor suite of rooms were ready for thier opening session in January of 1891.
escribed as 'a palace for Justice' and ' the handsomest court room in the United States', courtroom 454 owed much of its elegance to painter George Herzog (1851-1920). A German born and trained painter, Herzog decorated the walls, ceiling, and fluted pilasters in what was described as 'rich oil colors of red, gray-greens, and gold fleck.' Unfortunatly, his work has been painted over, and the three grand electro-gasoliers (combination electric and gas chandeliers) depicted in a 1910 photograph, were also removed sometime in the 1950's.
he room's original grandeur can, however; still be seen today in the remaining architecture and furnishings.

rom the rear of the courtroom, we can see a Tennessee marble wainscott, broken by fluted pilasters that rise up toward the coffered ceiling. Doorways and windows are hung with fine red curtains, also known as portieries when used over doorways. Again, the original portieries have been replaced but the copies remain impressive. ich mahogany furnishings at the front of the room gives it a quiet elegance as we focus on the elaborate Justices' Bench. Its construction caused a delay of an entire year in the room's opening, but the impressive construction must have been worth the wait.

esting 28 inches above the floor on a foundation of black marble, the curved bench is composed of seven Mexican onyx panels divided by 20 bronze female figures. The bronze ladies, strangely not blindfolded, hold the books, the sword, and the scales in a representation of Law, Justice, and Jurisprudence. The top of the bench is finished in mahogany and Russian Leather - a leather of particulary fine quality often used in book bindings.

ehind the bench, a small alcove leads to the Consultation room, a private chamber for the Justices. A quick peek at this anteroom gives us a better idea of the courtroom's magnificence at the turn of the century.

 mural, the largest in the building, depicts a frieze of classical figures as it surrounds the room just below the ceiling. Gold fleck at columns, capitals, cornice, and ceiling appears to be similar to descriptions of Herzog's work in the courtroom. Lab analysis of the mural, repainted in 1965, indicates the underlying paint matches samples found in the main courtroom. It's very likely that the restored finishes here are representative of the original detail in room 454.
he room also has a chandelier, slightly similar to those pictured in the 1910 photo of the main courtroom. The state seal is sculpted and painted in rich color on the wall to the west, while the north wall is accented by a marble fireplace. A comfortable, yet solemn room where justices can retire and weigh the ponderance of evidence presented on the courtroom floor.

ust outside, across the corridor, is a little used means of access to our next destination. Much more impressive than a simple ride in an elevator, we'll get a little exercise and take a moment to climb the GRAND STAIR.