Norfolk County Courthouse

The Norfolk County Courthouse is a National Historic Landmark at 650 High Street in Dedham, Massachusetts. It currently houses the Norfolk County Superior Court. It is significant as a well-preserved Greek Revival courthouse of the 1820s, and as the site a century later of the famous Sacco-Vanzetti trial. The building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1972, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Norfolk County Courthouse
LocationDedham, Massachusetts
Coordinates42°14′55″N 71°10′36″W
Built1827
ArchitectWillard, Solomon
Architectural styleGreek Revival
NRHP reference No.72001312 [1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPNovember 28, 1972
Designated NHLNovember 28, 1972
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Building

The original portion of the courthouse was dedicated on February 20, 1827[2] by a noted Boston builder, Solomon Willard.[3] The land in Dedham Square was purchased from the heirs of Fisher Ames.[2]

It was a basic rectangular granite-walled structure, 48' by 98' and two stories tall,[2] with Greek-temple porticos at either end.[3] Each 10' portico was supported by four Doric pillars.[2] In 1863 the building was enlarged, adding wings to the left and right of the north (main) facade, which are ornamented with corner pilasters, and were done with sensitivity to the original design.[3] A dome was also added at that time; it would be replaced during further enlargements in the 1890s.[3] Following plans developed by Gridley J. F. Bryant, the building was enlarged to its present H-shaped configuration, adding wings to the southern facade that matched those added in 1863 to the north.[3] The 1863 dome was replaced at that time with the present one, and the interior of the building was given a decorative treatment with Greek motifs.[3]

From 1834 to 1847, the Dedham Institution for Savings was housed in the basement.[4]

Sacco and Vanzetti

In May 1920 two Italian immigrants, Nicola Sacco and Bartolomeo Vanzetti, were arrested for a robbery that had taken place in South Braintree on April 20.[3] In a highly charged trial which took place in this building, the two men proclaimed their innocence, and their leftist political views became a major element of the case.[3] The two men were convicted and sentenced to death, causing an international outcry.[3] After six years of legal wrangling, the two men were electrocuted in 1927.[3]

The building has been relatively little altered since the time of the trial. Its most notable change is the removal from the courtroom of the cages that held the prisoners.[3]

First courthouse

The first courthouse was built in 1796 and served until 1827 when it was sold at public auction.[2] The first floor was then used as a millinery shop and residence while the second had an assembly room.[2] In 1845, it was sold again to the Temperance Hall Association and burned down on April 28, 1891.[2]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. Dedham Historical Society (2001). Dedham. Arcadia Publishing. p. 10. ISBN 978-0-7385-0944-0. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
  3. "NHL nomination for Norfolk County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-05-26.
  4. Neiswander, Judy (November 8, 2019). "A new owner for an historic building in Dedham Square". The Dedham Times. 27 (25). p. 8.
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