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Long Island City Courthouse Complex
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
New York City Landmark No. 0925
Long Island City Courthouse
Location	25-10 Court Sq., Long Island City, New York
Coordinates	40°44′45″N 73°56′35″W / 40.74583°N 73.94306°W / 40.74583; -73.94306
Area	2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built	1876
Architect	Hathorne, George; Coco, Peter M.
Architectural style	Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals, Neo-English Renaissance
NRHP reference No.	83001776
NYCL No.	0925
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	September 26, 1983
Designated NYCL	May 11, 1976

The Long Island City Courthouse is located at 25-10 Court Square in Long Island City, Queens, New York City. It formerly housed Criminal Court, County Court, the District Attorney staff, and the county sheriff's office. Today the Courthouse is another home to the Civil Term of Supreme Court, Queens County, which also sits in Jamaica. The courthouse was originally built in 1874 to a design by architect George Hathorne, and was remodeled and enlarged by Peter M. Coco in 1904. It was considered to be one of the most important buildings in Queens County.

The Long Island City Courthouse complex was designated a New York City landmark in 1976, and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places since 1983.

History

The building was erected in 1874 to a design by George Hathorne. The location was decided on as the Queens County Seat moved from Jamaica to Long Island City, due to access to nearby transportation. In a 2007 article in Newsday, staff writer Geoffrey Mohan writes of the relocation of the Queens County Courthouse from Garden City Park, Nassau County, to Long Island City. Mohan refers to this relocation as one of decades of controversy, and possible reasons contributing to Nassau County's secession from Queens.

The courthouse was remodeled and enlarged by Peter M. Coco in 1904 after a fire destroyed a portion of it. In its remodeling the building was raised from two stories to four stories in order to accommodate the needs of the court. The courthouse is designed in what has been variously described as a Neo-English Renaissance, neoclassical, or Beaux Arts architectural style and is made of stone, ceramic tile, limestone, and metal.

Two jails were formerly part of the complex, but were replaced by a parking garage in 1988. The parking structure was designed by Chicago-based architectural firm Skidmore, Owings and Merrill.

The courthouse and its surrounding complex has undergone rejuvenation and renovations in the mid-2000s. Liz Skalka, a Chronicle correspondent, reported on August 24, 2006 that: "The ornate courthouse began undergoing repairs in May that included renovations on its brick exterior and new roofing on the main building and its wings. Both are to protect against water damage. A prominent third floor courtroom, noted for its two-story stained glass ceiling, is also being restored, and will receive new wooden flooring similar to its original."

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Queens County, New York
• List of New York City Designated Landmarks in Queens

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "New York State Supreme Court, Queens County, Long Island City Branch (New York City Landmarks Preservation Commission)" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-02-27. Retrieved 2018-05-20.
3. Mohan, Geoffrey. "Nassau's Difficult Birth". Newsday. Archived from the original on February 16, 2007.
4. Skalka, Liz (August 24, 2006). "Storied Courthouse Undergoes Restoration". Queens Chronicle. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007.

Further reading

• Official website
• Long Island City Courthouse at www.bridgeandtunnelclub.com
• Brief but informative information of Queens Landmarks by Queens Tribune

v t e National Register of Historic Places in Queens, New York
Historic districts	68th Avenue–64th Place 75th Avenue–61st Street Broadway–Flushing Central Avenue Central Ridgewood Cooper Avenue Row Cornelia–Putnam Cypress Avenue East Cypress Avenue West Douglaston Hill Douglaston Far Rockaway Beach Bungalow Forest–Norman Fresh Pond–Traffic Grove–Linden–St. John's Hunters Point Jackson Heights Jacob Riis Park Madison–Putnam–60th Place Richmond Hill Seneca Avenue East Seneca–Onderdonk–Woodward Stockholm–DeKalb–Hart Summerfield Street Row Sunnyside Gardens Woodbine–Palmetto–Gates
Historic properties	Houses Allen-Beville House John Bowne House Ralph Johnson Bunche House Cornelius Van Wyck House King Manor Kingsland Homestead Lent Homestead and Cemetery Louis Armstrong House Queens County Farm Museum Steinway Mansion Vander Ende–Onderdonk House Voelker Orth Museum Religious buildings Astoria Center of Israel Church of the Resurrection The Church-in-the-Gardens First Presbyterian Church of Far Rockaway First Presbyterian Church of Newtown First Reformed Church Free Synagogue of Flushing Grace Episcopal Church Complex Old Quaker Meeting House Protestant Reformed Dutch Church of Flushing Reformed Church of Newtown Rego Park Jewish Center Saint Benedict Joseph Labre Church St. George's Church St. Luke's Episcopal Church St. Matthew's Episcopal Church St. Matthias Roman Catholic Church St. Monica's Church St. James Church Temple of Israel Synagogue Congregation Tifereth Israel Trinity Chapel Trinity Lutheran Church Post offices Far Rockaway Flushing Forest Hills Jackson Heights Jamaica Long Island City Subway stations Court Square–23rd Street station Elmhurst Avenue station Flushing–Main Street station Other structures Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Lodge Number 878 Beth Olam Cemetery Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society College Point Little League Building Flushing Armory Flushing High School Flushing Meadows Carousel Flushing Town Hall Forest Park Carousel Fort Tilden Fort Totten Fort Totten Officers' Club Jamaica Center for Arts & Learning Jamaica Chamber of Commerce Building Jamaica Savings Bank Kaufman Astoria Studios J. Kurtz and Sons Store Building La Casina Long Island City Courthouse Long Island Motor Parkway Maple Grove Cemetery Marine Air Terminal New York State Pavilion Old Town of Flushing Burial Ground Parkway Village Poppenhusen Institute Prospect Cemetery PS 66 Queens County Savings Bank Queensboro Bridge RKO Keith's Theater Rockaway Courthouse Sidewalk clock on Jamaica Avenue Sohmer and Company Piano Factory Spear and Company Factory Triboro Hospital for Tuberculosis TWA Flight Center Wyckoff-Snediker Family Cemetery
National Historic Landmarks	Ralph Johnson Bunche House King Manor Louis Armstrong House Old Quaker Meeting House
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Queens, New York and List of National Historic Landmarks in New York

• 1874 establishments in New York (state)
• Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in New York City
• Government buildings completed in 1874
• Government buildings in Queens, New York
• Long Island City
• National Register of Historic Places in Queens, New York
• New York City Designated Landmarks in Queens, New York
• Renaissance Revival architecture in New York City
• Courthouses in New York City