Bronx County Building (originally Bronx County Courthouse) is a monumental landmark of limestone and marble that blends modern and classical forms. It is made more prominent by its siting, raised on a granite podium between two parks – Joyce Kilmer Park to the north, Franz Sigel Park to the south.
The podium, most visible on the west and north facades, is functional: It contains a garage, among other things.
The design is symmetrical, each side almost identical except for the sculpture. A six-columned portico is centered on each side, flanked by a pair of pink marble sculpture groups. The north and south facades are broken by 13 lines of windows; the east and west facades have 15 bays. Polished copper spandrels separate the windows; the first-floor spandrels have nickel inlays.
The county’s judicial needs have outgrown the building – at one point the building was so crowded that there were reports of juries deliberating in storage rooms. Larger courts have since been built to the east on E 161st Street and to the north on Grand Concourse. The building now serves as the Bronx County municipal building.
Bronx County Building Vital Statistics
- Location: 851 Grand Concourse at E 161st Street
- Year completed: 1935
- Architect: Joseph H. Freedlander and Max L. Hausle
- Sculptors: Charles Keck (frieze), Adolf A. Weinman (Grand Concourse sculpture groups), George H. Snowden (E 161st Street sculpture groups), Joseph Kiselewski (Walton Avenue sculpture groups), Edward F. Sandford Jr. (E 158th Street sculpture groups)
- Floors: 10
- Style: neo-Classical, Moderne
- New York City Landmark: 1976
- National Register of Historic Places: 1983
Bronx County Building Recommended Reading
- Wikipedia entry
- NYC Landmarks Preservation Commission designation report
- Welcome2TheBronx feature
- Emporis database