Capitol Building, home of the Supreme Court in 1810.
Encircled with a gilded floral relief, this wall clock over the west mantel was made by
Simon Willard in 1837 at the request of Chief Justice Roger B. Taney.
A marble bust of the Chief Justice John Jay by John Frazee, 1831.
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The Supreme Court, the most powerful court of law in the United States, has always been held in the highest regard.
However, in its infancy, the court struggled to find a permanent home. Initially meeting in the Merchants Exchange
Building in New York City, the Court moved along with the National Capitol to Philadelphia in 1790, and relocated again
with the federal government to Washington D.C. in 1800. The Supreme Court spent its first decade here meeting
in numerous places on Capitol Hill -- from a half-finished committee room in the Capitol to a tavern on First
Street.
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It was not until February 10, 1810 that the Supreme Court would meet in a place built specifically for
its use. The chamber was designed by Henry Latrobe and is distinguished by a vaulted ceiling
spanning 110 feet across the width of the room. While many believed the chamber to be a work of structural
genius, its first floor location made the chamber poorly lit and was often described as "dark,
damp, and dingy."
Still, the Court thrived under Chief Justice John Marshall's leadership. Before his death in 1835,
Marshall firmly established the role of the Supreme Court as the authoritative interpreter of the
Constitution.
While many important decisions were handed down throughout Marshall's career,
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The Supreme Court was forced to abandon the chamber from 1812-1819 when
the War of 1812 broke out and the British captured and set the Capitol on fire.
Desperate for a place conduct its business, the Supreme Court held its sessions at rented houses on Capitol Hill.
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The Trustees of Dartmouth College v. Woodward is noteworthy because it established the legal reputation of
Daniel Webster. Webster would argue many cases in front of the Supreme Court and would gain fame in the process for his oratorical skill. When Webster argued a case, legislative chambers emptied and
observers flocked to the dark, gloomy Chamber of Justice. Rich men were said to have offered
bribes in order to secure the best seats in the small room.
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1860:
Old Senate Chamber
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