The Birch Bayh Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, formerly known as the U.S. Courthouse and Post Office and as the Federal Building, is a

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

of the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana, located in

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

. It is a distinguished example of Beaux-Arts architecture, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. Constructed from 1902 to 1905, the United States District Court for the District of Indiana met here until it was subdivided in 1928; the United States Circuit Court for the District of Indiana met here until that court was abolished in 1912. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places as "U.S. Courthouse and Post Office" in 1974. The courthouse was renamed in honor of Senator Birch Bayh in 2003.

Building history

The building was one of only 35 federal buildings constructed under the

Tarsney Act John Charles Tarsney (November 7, 1845 – September 4, 1920) was an American politician from Missouri and an associate justice of the Oklahoma Territory Supreme Court (1896-1899). He then returned to Kansas City, Missouri, where he had a private ...

of 1893. The United States Treasury Department sought designs for the new federal building from private architectural firms through an open competition allowed under the Act.

John Hall Rankin John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second E ...

and

Thomas Kellogg Thomas may refer to: People * List of people with given name Thomas * Thomas (name) * Thomas (surname) * Saint Thomas (disambiguation) * Thomas Aquinas (1225–1274) Italian Dominican friar, philosopher, and Doctor of the Church * Thomas the Ap ...

, noted Philadelphia architects, secured the design contract, and the Treasury Department accepted the New York-based

John Pierce Company John is a common English name and surname: * John (given name) * John (surname) John may also refer to: New Testament Works * Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John * First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John * Second ...

's low construction bid of $1,300,000. (The final cost, however, reached nearly $2,000,000.) Begun in 1902 and completed in 1905, the new federal building was massive. Accommodating 925 federal employees, the U-shaped, Beaux Arts structure occupied an entire block, rose four stories, and housed federal courts, offices, and the main post office. Beaux Arts classicism, often reflected in federal buildings of this era, was popularized by the majestic buildings of the Chicago World's Fair in 1893. Monumental design and formal planning of spaces are hallmarks of the style. The Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse inspired Beaux Arts designs for other public buildings in Indianapolis, including Indianapolis City Hall (1910), the

Indianapolis Public Library The Indianapolis Public Library (IndyPL), formerly known as the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library, is the public library system serving the citizens of Marion County, Indiana, United States and its largest city, Indianapolis. The li ...

(1917), and buildings in the Indiana World War Memorial Plaza (dedicated in 1927).

Architecture

Resting on a gray granite foundation, the Neo-Classic building is a steel-framed, flat-roofed structure clad with Indiana limestone. The south (front) elevation has eleven bays, separated by three-story Ionic engaged columns and flanked by entry pavilions. Each pavilion has a central cast-bronze and glass doorway, reached by a wide, shallow gray granite stair flanked by pedestals with heroic allegorical sculptures by John Massey Rhind entitled ''Industry'', ''Science'' (or ''Justice''), ''Agriculture'', and ''Literature''. ''Note:'' This includes and Accompanying photographs Completed in 1905, the new federal building was originally U-shaped. The symmetrical facade features evenly spaced Ionic pilasters and terraces with stone

baluster A baluster is an upright support, often a vertical moulded shaft, square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets, and other architectural features. In furniture construction it is known as a spindle. Common materials used in its cons ...

s. A heavy classical

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

tops the building. A five-story addition, completed in 1938, enclosed the original U-shaped plan, creating an interior courtyard. The addition is compatible with the original building, featuring classical ornamentation mixed with modern details such as the stylized relief over the entrances. The original impressive scale and richly ornamented interior design elements remain intact. Mosaic tile ceilings, cantilevered marble staircases, and much of the original decorative artwork and furnishings are still in place. The major interior spaces of the building are the first-floor lobbies and connecting corridor and the original courtrooms at the southeast and southwest corners of the second floor. The exterior entry doors at the southeast and southwest corners of the first floor open into barrel-vaulted corridors with white marble walls and brown and green marble pilasters and columns. The corridors lead to vaulted octagonal vestibules that feature red marble walls and gray Tuscan columns, as well as Roman-style mosaics on the ceilings. Arched openings of the octagonal vestibules lead to lobbies with elevators and grand staircases, and to the quadripart vaulted connecting corridor. The semicircular marble staircases are among the finest examples of cantilevered (supported only from one end) stone stairs in the United States. Among the most impressive interior features of the building are the Depression-era murals. Working under the Treasury Relief Art Project, which aimed to restore faith in the country through patriotic and historically themed art, master artist

Grant Christian Grant Wright Christian (July 17, 1911 – May 21, 1989) was an American artist. He graduated from the John Herron Art Institute in 1933 and later attended the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts from which he received the Thouron Prize. Biogra ...

painted murals that depict the history of transportation and delivery of mail in Indianapolis. Christian was paid $1.55 per hour while his assistant, Reynolds Selfridge receive half that much. The courtrooms feature handsome marble floors, colored marble and plaster wall finishes, and elaborately ornamented, gilded, and painted plaster beam and panel ceilings with

skylight A skylight (sometimes called a rooflight) is a light-permitting structure or window, usually made of transparent or translucent glass, that forms all or part of the roof space of a building for daylighting and ventilation purposes. History Open ...

s. Bronzed railings, stained-glass windows, and heavy wrought-iron gates provide detail to these rooms, which also still have their original furniture. Allegorical representations of the ''Appeal to Justice'' and ''Justice and Mercy'' by

William B. Van Ingen William Brantley Van Ingen (1858–1955) was a stained glass artist and painter perhaps best known for his Panama Canal murals. Life Van Ingen was born in Philadelphia. He was a student of Christian Schuessele and Thomas Eakins at the Pennsylv ...

Taylor, Stevens, Ponder & Brockman, ''Indiana: A New Historical Guide’’, Indiana Historical Society, Indianapolis, IN 1989 p. 404 placed above each judge's bench symbolize the seriousness of their responsibility. Depression-era interior modifications were mostly cosmetic in nature. These included replacement of open metal grillwork doors on the elevators with polished metal doors, and installation of dark green marble-faced walls at elevator entrances. Modern translucent panels replaced the original stained-glass skylights in the second-floor courtrooms. The first-floor east–west corridor is no longer used as a post office. The postal service windows and mailboxes were removed when these functions were shifted to widely dispersed annexes. Replicas of the service windows were added during the course of restoration, returning the space to its original appearance. In recent years, the General Services Administration (GSA) has reversed some past modifications made in the name of modernization, and has begun conserving important elements of the building. GSA has replaced modern lighting with appropriate period features, repaired mosaic tile ceilings, and restored exterior stone work.

Significant events

* 1902–1905: The Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is constructed. * 1935: Treasury Relief Art Project murals by

Grant Wright Christian Grant Wright Christian (July 17, 1911 – May 21, 1989) was an American artist. He graduated from the John Herron Art Institute in 1933 and later attended the Philadelphia Academy of Fine Arts from which he received the Thouron Prize The Thour ...

depict the history of transportation and mail delivery in Indianapolis. * 1938: Addition of north wing is completed. * 1962: GSA's ongoing preservation work begins. * 1974: The Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. * 2003: Building renamed in honor of U.S. Senator Birch Bayh of Indiana.

Building facts

* Architects: John Hall Rankin and Thomas Kellogg * Construction Dates: 1902-1905 * Landmark Status: Listed in the National Register of Historic Places * Location: The city block bounded by Ohio, Meridian, Pennsylvania, and New York Streets * Architectural Style: Classical Revival * Primary Materials: Indiana limestone sheathing over steel framing and reinforced concrete; gray granite base and stairs * Prominent Feature: Elaborate interior finishes including marble, plaster, and mosaics

Attribution

References