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Tweed Courthouse has a long and complex history
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Located on downtown’s historic Chambers Street, the three-and-a-half-story New York County Courthouse -- better known as the Tweed Courthouse -- stands as a symbol of municipal government today even as it warns against the corrupt system that created it more than a century ago. While the recent restoration of this 19th-century landmark revealed the structure’s many elaborate details, it has also succeeded in restoring a piece of Lower Manhattan’s rich history by bringing back the story of “Boss” William M. Tweed and Tammany Hall.
Construction of the county courthouse began in December 1861 when the City of New York awarded a commission to design the building to Long Island native John Kellum. A carpenter and self-taught architect who contributed to such historical landmarks as the Cary Building (105-107 Chambers Street) and the Alexander T. Stewart mansion (5th Avenue at 34th Street), Kellum set to work on what would become one of New York City’s great historical sites, demolishing a large poorhouse while clearing the crowded north side of City Hall Park.
At the same time, William Tweed had emerged as a prominent and powerful figure in the city. As president of the board of supervisors that oversaw the building of the courthouse, Tweed had primary control over its construction -- but his influence stretched far beyond this role.
Tweed and Tammany Hall
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| The couthouse was built in 1861, designed by John Kellum |
Born on Cherry Street in 1823, Tweed grew up in Manhattan in the neighborhood that later became known as the Lower East Side. After dropping out of school at the age of 11 to work as a chairmaker in his family’s business, the burly, six-foot-tall Tweed became the leader of a firehouse, Engine Company No.12. As a young firefighter, he was introduced to the group known as Tammany Hall -- perhaps the most famous political machine in America.
Formally named the Society of Saint Tammany after a legendary Delaware Indian chief, Tammany Hall had historically functioned as a political organization. Linked to the Democratic Party, members of the private group worked to provide jobs, food, heating fuel and clothing to the city’s constant influx of poor immigrants -- garnering support for party candidates all the while.
Tweed soon joined Tammany’s ranks, leveraging his popularity and connections with its members to gain entry into the political arena. In 1851, he was elected to the city’s board of aldermen and steadily built his power through the election and appointment of his newly found friends. By the mid-1860s, Tweed held political positions such as superintendent of public works, county supervisor, state senator, chairman of the Democratic-Republican General Committee of the City of New York, and soon secured the top position within Tammany.
The Rise and Fall of “Boss” TweedWhile Tammany existed as early as 1789, it was under Tweed that its influence reached monumental proportions. As “grand sachem” of the Tammany Society, “Boss” Tweed (as he came to be called) brought the society into unprecedented levels of corruption.
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| Scorsese's film Gangs of New York depicts many of these events |
By the late 1860’s, Tweed led a tight network of city officials, Democratic Party members and contractors dubbed the “Tweed Ring,” which controlled much of the city through bribes, extortion, and strong-arming. Under Tweed, votes were openly bought (Martin Scorsese’s Gangs of New York depicts Tweed eagerly purchasing the votes of Irish immigrants) and city judges became notoriously corrupt. Those who supported the group were rewarded with hard-to-find municipal employment or granted contracts to work on city projects, often in construction.
As a result, Tweed’s popularity grew, especially among the city’s poor immigrants. Although he extorted millions of dollars for himself, Tweed also improved water supplies, sewage disposal and city streets. His influence helped to create such New York City landmarks as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the American Museum of Natural History and the Brooklyn Bridge.
With a roster that included prominent figures like Oakey Hall, the mayor; Peter Sweeny, the city chamberlain, and Richard Connolly, the city comptroller, the Tweed Ring soon became an infamous -- and virtually unstoppable -- political machine. In April 1870, Tweed facilitated the passage of a city charter that transferred control of the city to the mayor, comptroller, and commissioners of parks and public works --- and thus conveniently into the hands of the Tweed Ring. Supported by this united political front, Tweed began to reap the benefits of his position by pillaging city funds.
Tweed’s most famous scam took place during the building of the New York County Courthouse. Using its construction as a pretext to embezzle millions of dollars, Tweed became one of the wealthiest New Yorkers of his day. Presenting inflated bills to the city for construction costs, Tweed was able pocket municipal funds for himself and members of ring. For example, Andrew Garvey, a plasterer and Tammany member, received $133,187 for two days’ work on the courthouse.
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| The interior showcases beautiful, ornate brick work |
In less than three years, New York City’s debt jumped to $81 million. Although the total amount of money stolen by Tweed and his ring over the years was never determined, it is estimated that approximately $13 million was appropriated by the board of supervisors for the construction of the courthouse between 1862 -- when Tweed became president --and the 1870s.
Tweed’s DownfallIt wasn’t long before suspicions over the cost of the elaborate courthouse began to circulate throughout the city. Tweed quickly became a target of political cartoonist Thomas Nast, whose caricatures for Harper’s Weekly portrayed him as a corrupt and avaricious political figure. Public awareness of the ring steadily grew, but the city began to zero in on Tweed only after an angry politician (who felt Tweed had snubbed him) turned over to the New York Times several confidential records that revealed the corruption behind the courthouse project.
In 1871, Tweed was investigated by a city committee and ultimately arrested on several charges. The committee uncovered a virtual wealth of evidence incriminating the Tammany boss.
In 1871, Tweed was investigated by a city committee and ultimately arrested on several charges. The committee uncovered a virtual wealth of evidence incriminating the Tammany boss and paid a printer $4,718 to print the final report. (Ironically, the printing company was owned by Tweed.)
Tried in an unfinished basement room of the courthouse that today bears his name, Tweed was ultimately convicted for failure to audit claims against the city and sentenced to 12 years in prison -- a decision that was later reduced to one year by a higher court. The state of New York also sued Tweed for more than $6 million in a case that was taken to the Supreme Court of New York County.
Before going to trial, Tweed escaped from jail on December 4, 1875 and fled to Cuba and then Spain, where he worked as a seaman. Reportedly recognized from one of Nast’s cartoons, Tweed was extradited to New York and placed in the city’s Ludlow Street jail, where he died in 1878. More than 1,500 people attended his funeral, the majority of them poor immigrants.
Construction and Renovation
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| Tweed Courthouse now houses the Department of Education |
During the investigation into Tweed’s wrongdoings, work on the county courthouse ceased, and between 1872 and 1876, a harsh stigma attached itself to the unfinished building. Kellum, the original architect, had died before finishing his design, so in 1876 German native Leopold Eidlitz was hired to complete the project.
Recognized for his work on the New York State Capitol building, Eidlitz contributed to the building’s south wing and domed ceiling. Adding colorful brick to Kellum’s intricate, neoclassical cast-iron design, Eidlitz’s Romanesque stylings transformed the courthouse. The marked difference between the styles of the two architects is immediately evident throughout the building’s interior.
After a series of disruptions occasioned by the Civil War in addition to political corruption, the Tweed courthouse was finally finished in 1881, more than 20 years after work began. Its total cost is estimated at $11 million to $12 million.
Tweed Courthouse Today
In 1999, Tweed Courthouse underwent a two-year restoration. The project, for which the final price tag reached $85 million, included the removal of 18 layers of paint from the original brick walls and cast iron, reconstruction of the marble and glass-tile floors, and the imitation of original painting schemes throughout the building. A new roof was designed to replicate the original metal one, the exterior marble cornices were replaced, and the Corinthian columns were detailed.
Located at 52 Chambers Street, Tweed Courthouse was granted status as a New York City Landmark in 1984 and is listed on both the state and national registers of historic places. According to the Guide to New York City Landmarks, it is oldest city government building save for City Hall.
Today, Tweed Courthouse houses the Department of Education. Its lower level has been renovated into classrooms, which are currently occupied by City Hall Academy.
Tours of Tweed Courthouse are available on weekdays and are offered free of chage. To make a reservation, please visit or call 311 (212-NEW-YORK outside of New York City).
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