Historic LIC courthouse connects past and present

The front of the Queens County Courthouse in Long Island City. Eagle file photos by Clarissa Sosin.

By Rachel Vick

The Long Island City Supreme Courthouse sits among the new towers of Court Square, its red brick contrasting the sterile glass skyscrapers rising throughout the region. The courthouse is a living relic of architectural and neighborhood history.

The original courthouse was constructed between 1872 to 1876, but it was severely damaged by fire in 1904. Architect Peter Coco, who designed other buildings in the area, planned the renovations and expansion that exist today. 

Scattered images and artifacts remind visitors of the building’s — and borough’s — long and storied history. Old postcards, bulletin boards and other pieces of memorabilia depict the courthouse’s early years.

In the 1980s, a parking garage replaced jail facilities that became infamous after detainees participated in jailhouse rebellions across the city in 1970.

Today, the courthouse is home to the Civil Term courtrooms of Justices Robert Caloras, Rudolph Greco, Phillip Hom, Richard Latin, Robert McDonald, Maurice Muir, Leslie Purificacion and Frederick Sampson.

Courtrooms encircle open hallways on each level of the central building. Metal guardrails keep everyone safe, but a glimpse over the edge of each floor offers a view to the lobby. 

Visitors can use central stairs with wooden banisters to access other floors, or elevators with metal details that harken back to earlier models, despite newer coats of blue paint.

Ornate details like colorful, tiled floors and lofty ceilings come together to create a space that can transport anyone who crosses the threshold back to an architectural era slowly being erased from the neighborhood. 

Paper coverings are visible throughout the building, a reminder of the continued refurbishment and preservation of an iconic space. The building was designated as a New York City Landmark in 1976, roughly 100 years after it was first built.