First Columbia County Courthouse

The First Columbia County Courthouse is a former courthouse at New York State Route 23B near the center of the hamlet of Claverack, New York in the United States. It is a brick building, which was built in 1786 and renovated Federal-style mid-19th century.

At the time, Claverack had the county seat of Columbia County held. The Courthouse was twenty years used in this capacity until replaced Hudson as the county seat near Claverack. Martin Van Buren was active in this court, and probably Alexander Hamilton. The case of People v. Croswell, in which the journalist Harry Croswell had to answer in criminal proceedings for his criticism of President Thomas Jefferson, was initially negotiated here.

When the time ended as a courthouse, it was used as a meeting house, but later converted into a residential building. It was entered in the National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

• 2.1 1786-1806: Courthouse
• 2.2 1807 to present

Building

The building is located on the north side of State Route 23B on the western corner of Old Lane, opposite the Stephen Hogeboom House also recorded in the register. The neighborhood is residential purposes and consisting of other houses from the 18th and 19th centuries. The building stands at the front of a 3000m ² parcel on which there are two more buildings, a modern garage and a gazebo. Both are modern and are therefore not contributing to the historic character of the monument.

Exterior

The former Court House itself is a zweickstöckiges brick building on a stone foundation and spans five to four yokes. The gable roof is covered with a folded sheet metal. It is concluded on the eaves by a wide frieze and a molded cornice.

On the north side is a two-storey wing, which has itself again over a two-story wing of post and beam construction. A one-story annex is located on the west side with a flat roof.

The front ( south side ) is dominated by the main entrance. This has a portico supported by fluted with flat roof and deep-drawn cornice. Side windows and a fighter windows line the entrance with two Doric columns ¨ and supported by this lintel with molded top edge and the scheduled Verzähnungen.

Three windows are located on the east side of the ground floor and two on the floor above. The clad with wooden planks tympanum has a large skylight. The other two sides are governed by their respective wings.

Interior

The narrow central hall today consists of two rooms of equal size. She ran once over the entire depth of the building. The brick wing was extensively remodeled for its present use as a dwelling. In the brick wall of the walled fireplace is visible. The wing has no basement. Cultivation in timber frame construction has also been redesigned.

In the basement of the main building a load bearing wall was drafted, which runs parallel to the east side of the hall. Two old chamfered pole under the south-west to space were replaced to support the room.

History

The building was used in the first two decades of its existence as a Courthouse. During this time a number of prominent contemporary lawyers worked here, even a decision of principle in the legal history of the United States took their starting. Subsequently, it served as a meeting house. A century later it was extensively renovated and rebuilt when it was converted into apartments in the interior.

1786-1806: Courthouse

The Columbia County was formed in 1786 and determined Claverack to his headquarters. In that year, one of the residents, Gabriel Esselstyne, the County transferred the land for a payment of ₤ 20. The local mason William Ludlow began in July 1786 with the construction. In some reports, it is said that the construction took two years and the construction cost ₤ 3600. The Court House was located at the crossroads of two important roads: the old Indian road through the area, which later became a toll Columbia Turnpike and is followed today by the State Routes 23 and 23B, and the original route of the Albany Post Road.

The courthouse had a small extension, which was at the back of a prison, and in the vicinity there was a pillory, where public floggings were carried out, and a gallows as a place of execution. The pillory no longer exists, the location of the gallows tree is not known.

Even during the construction activity in 1787, the first court sessions were held, Judge Judge Peter Van Ness sat before the negotiations. Among the lawyers who were sworn here in the new bar association of the county, were some of the most famous lawyers of the state of that time, including William Peter Van Ness, Ambrose Spencer, Thomas P. Grosvenor and Peter Van Schaack, men who later as a judge and worked in public offices of the new state. The later U.S. President Martin Van Buren from the nearby Kinderhook began his career with negotiated cases here. It is quite likely that Alexander Hamilton went to the from and a building, as there is a continuing dispute was conducted under his involvement owned land in what is now Hillsdale.

In the early years of the 19th century, a policy decision adopted regarding a libel suit after the first Amendment to the Constitution of the United States here their output when the young coming from Hudson journalist Harry Croswell, who supported the Federalist Party, President Thomas Jefferson and his followers in a small newsletter called The wasp ( German: The wasp ) attack. This prompted Ambrose Spencer, former Attorney General of the State, 1803 to bring an action against Croswe by a grand jury because of the violation of the Sedition Act in two cases.

Spencer led the proceedings in person and Croswell was convicted. The appealed to the court as a New York Supreme Court is now known and the highest court of the state is. In a six-hour defense speech Hamilton argued that true statements of fact can not be libelous. The judges could not agree and Croswell has not been convicted, and not a new procedure was initiated. 1805 took the New York State Legislature Hamilton's argument in the law of the state.

Also in 1805, the seat of the county was moved to Hudson, which had become due to its importance in the whaling became an important center. Even for a year found in Claverack take court proceedings until the new courthouse was completed there. Many lawyers and judges remained in Claverack, as both places were not far apart and the journey between the two towns did not take long.

1807 to present

The building also enjoyed after the exodus of the court in high regard by the population. Its high ceilings made ​​it ideal as a meeting place, and it was also used for educational and dance events. 1843 sold the building to the County a native of Brooklyn businessman Peter Hoffman, who had retired here. This gave the building at its renovations, some elements of neoclassicism, especially through the portico, which reflected the portico of Hogeboom House on the other side of the street.

By the end of the 19th century, a number of owners came off; these were all former residents of New York City. During this period, the kitchen wing was added in post and beam construction on the rear. Some of these residents could carry out further renovations, so the house mixed urban - such as the narrow central hall - and rural characteristics received. It is one of the most ornate buildings from the heyday of the Federal styles in the County.

After the Second World War a new owner decided at the end of the 1940s to the conversion of the building into a residential building with multiple dwelling units. This conversion led to far-reaching changes of the layout inside the building, especially in the rear wing. At this time, the garage has been added.