The Robert H. Jackson United States Courthouse is a U.S. federal courthouse located in
Buffalo, New York
Buffalo is a Administrative divisions of New York (state), city in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York and county seat of Erie County, New York, Erie County. It lies in Western New York at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of ...
. The building occupies a full block of
Delaware Avenue at
Niagara Square
Niagara Square is a public square located at the intersections of Delaware Avenue, Court Street, Genesee Street, and Niagara Street in Buffalo, New York. It is the central hub of Joseph Ellicott's original radial street pattern that he designe ...
, directly across from the
Statler Towers and adjacent to
Buffalo City Hall
Buffalo City Hall is the seat for municipal government in the City of Buffalo, New York. Located at 65 Niagara Square, the 32-story Art Deco skyscraper was completed in 1931 by Dietel, Wade & Jones.
The building is one of the largest and t ...
. The building features secure indoor parking for 54 vehicles, a glass entry pavilion that has all 4,536 words of the
United States Constitution
The Constitution of the United States is the Supremacy Clause, supreme law of the United States, United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. Originally includi ...
etched into the glass, and is topped off by a glass enclosure meant to resemble a glowing lantern when illuminated.
Construction
The courthouse replaced a block of structures previously occupying the site, the most notable being the 1927 Erlanger theater building built by
Statler Hotels
The Statler Hotel company was one of the United States, United States' early chains of hotels catering to traveling businessmen and tourists. It was founded by Ellsworth Milton Statler, Ellsworth Milton (E. M.) Statler in Buffalo, New York.
Earl ...
.
Although expected to be opened by July 2010, construction of the building had been held back a year following concerns regarding the glass panel façade and a moisture problem.
Federal officials opened the courthouse in November 2011. Upon completion, the building was the most expensive government building in the history of
Western New York
Western New York (WNY) is the westernmost region of the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. The eastern boundary of the region is not consistently defined by state agencies or those who call themselves "Western New Yorkers". Almost all so ...
. The building replaced the
Michael J. Dillon Courthouse as Buffalo's primary federal courthouse, and is currently home to the U.S. District Court, Court of Appeals, U.S. Probation, U.S. Marshals, U.S. Attorney and GSA. The building was designed and constructed to achieve a
LEED
Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a Green building certification systems, green building certification program used worldwide. Developed by the non-profit U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), it includes a set of rating ...
-NC Gold certification through the
U.S. Green Building Council.
The courthouse pavilion lobby contains monumental colored glass panels designed by Buffalo-area native
Robert Mangold
Robert Mangold (born October 12, 1937) is an American minimalist artist. His son is the film director, producer and screenwriter James Mangold.
Early life and education
Mangold was born in North Tonawanda, New York. His mother, Blanche, was ...
, a major figure in the geometric abstraction movement. The building won the 2011 Award for Design and Manufacturing Excellence from the Architectural Precast Association.
Naming
In December 2011, Congressman
Brian Higgins
Brian Michael Higgins (born October 6, 1959) is an American former politician who was the U.S. representative for , from 2005 until 2024. The district, numbered as the 27th district from 2005 to 2013 and as the 26th from 2013 to 2024, included ...
introduced a bill, naming the courthouse for
Robert H. Jackson
Robert Houghwout Jackson (February 13, 1892 – October 9, 1954) was an American lawyer, jurist, and politician who served as an associate justice of the U.S. Supreme Court from 1941 until his death in 1954. He had previously served as Un ...
, the only Western New Yorker to serve as
Supreme Court Justice
The Supreme Court of the United States is the highest-ranking judicial body in the United States. Its membership, as set by the Judiciary Act of 1869, consists of the chief justice of the United States and eight associate justices, any six of ...
. The
bill H.R.3556 was voted on and approved on July 23, 2012, and became law on October 5, 2012. The Jackson Courthouse name on the building was unveiled at a ceremony on September 30, 2013.
Gallery
Image:Buffalo Federal Courthouse Construction.JPG, Clearing the site, 2008
Image:Buff fed courthouse sign.JPG, Project Information Sign
Image:Robert H. Jackson CH.jpg, View from Niagara Square
Image:BuffFederalCourtHouseMangold.jpg, Glass pavilion in front of the building
See also
*
List of tallest buildings in Buffalo, New York
*
List of United States federal courthouses in New York
Following is a list of current and former courthouses of the United States federal court system located in New York (state), New York. Each entry indicates the name of the building along with an image, if available, its location and the jurisdict ...
References
External links
*
Skyscraperpage building page
{{Authority control
Federal courthouses in the United States
Courthouses in New York (state)
Kohn Pedersen Fox buildings
Skyscraper office buildings in Buffalo, New York
Government buildings completed in 2011
United States District Court for the Western District of New York