History and architecture
Of the many historic buildings erected in Harlem around the turn of the Century and still extant, the Harlem Courthouse is one of the most significant and impressive. Begun in 1891 and completed in 1893, it is handsomely picturesque. Essentially Romanesque Revival in style with romantic Victorian Gothic overtones, the building achieves much of its beauty by a judicious use of colored brick, stone and terra-cotta, producing a play of architectural shapes and forms of striking effect.
The Harlem Courthouse housed one of the many Municipal and Police Magistrates Courts that once existed in our City.
Its function as a courthouse was terminated in 1961, under the court merger program of 1962. Once known as the Fifth District Prison, in the City organization, it had temporary detention facilities to hold prisoners while in transit to other jails and for the retention of material witnesses who were held while a trial was in session. This building is now occupied by units of the Department of Air Pollution Control, the Sanitation Department and the Parole Board. Its history covers an interesting sequence of uses changing from one City agency to another.
Sources and further reading
This history comes from the Landmarks app’s historical catalog. Names and building uses may reflect the period described.