The Joseph P. Kinneary United States Courthouse is a federal courthouse in Columbus, Ohio, in the city's downtown

Civic Center A civic center or civic centre is a prominent land area within a community that is constructed to be its focal point or center. It usually contains one or more dominant public buildings, which may also include a government building. Recently, the ...

. It was formerly known as the U.S. Post Office and Court House. It was designed by

Richards, McCarty & Bulford Richards, McCarty & Bulford was an American architectural firm. The General Services Administration has called the firm the "preeminent" architectural firm of the city of Columbus, Ohio. A number of the firm's works are listed on the National R ...

and was completed in 1934. The supervising architect was

James A. Wetmore James Alfonso Wetmore (November 1863 – March 14, 1940) was an American lawyer and administrator, best known as the Acting Supervising Architect of the U.S. Office of the Supervising Architect of the Treasury Department from 1915 through 1933 ...

. It was renamed for Joseph P. Kinneary in 1998. It is still in use by the

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio The United States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio (in case citations, S.D. Ohio) is one of two United States district courts in Ohio and includes forty-eight of the state's eighty-eight counties–everything from the Columbus ar ...

History

The building was constructed as a post office and courthouse in 1934. Renovations completed in July 2014 improved the interiors and exterior, and reduced water and electric usage. Installations included high-efficiency water boilers, air-handling units, a building automation system, a rainwater harvesting tank, light fixtures, occupancy and daylight harvesting sensors, and low-flow water fixtures. On the exterior, portions of the building's sandstone facade and chimney were repaired or replaced. Its windows were reglazed, and its

penthouses A penthouse is an apartment or unit on the highest floor of an apartment building, condominium, hotel or tower. Penthouses are typically differentiated from other apartments by luxury features. The term 'penthouse' originally referred, and som ...

were re-paneled.

Attributes and design

The courthouse is located along the

Scioto River The Scioto River ( ) is a river in central and southern Ohio more than in length. It rises in Hardin County just north of Roundhead, Ohio, flows through Columbus, Ohio, where it collects its largest tributary, the Olentangy River, and meets t ...

Battelle Riverfront Park Battelle Riverfront Park is a park in downtown Columbus, Ohio, United States, near Columbus City Hall. The park was established in 1983. It is named after Gordon Battelle and was funded by the Battelle Memorial Institute. Features The park fe ...

(part of the

Scioto Mile The Scioto Mile is a collection of parks and trails along both banks of the Scioto River in Columbus, Ohio, connecting parts of the Scioto Greenway Trail with downtown Columbus and Franklinton. The nine parks cover . History At the beginnin ...

). It is named after Joseph Peter Kinneary, a former judge. The building is mainly used by the U.S. District Court, Southern District of Ohio and the

Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals The United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit (in case citations, 6th Cir.) is a federal court with appellate jurisdiction over the district courts in the following districts: * Eastern District of Kentucky * Western District of K ...

. Other offices are used by the

U.S. Marshals The United States Marshals Service (USMS) is a federal law enforcement agency in the United States. The USMS is a bureau within the U.S. Department of Justice, operating under the direction of the Attorney General, but serves as the enforce ...

, attorneys, probation, and pretrial services. The building is designed in the

Neoclassical style Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the Neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century in Italy and France. It became one of the most prominent architectural styles in the Western world. The prevailing sty ...

. Its design includes cornices and a large colonnade spanning its northern facade. Its exterior is mainly composed of granite

wainscot Panelling (or paneling in the U.S.) is a millwork wall covering constructed from rigid or semi-rigid components. These are traditionally interlocking wood, but could be plastic or other materials. Panelling was developed in antiquity to make ro ...

and Berea sandstone cladding, while the windows have

Vermont marble Vermont () is a state in the northeast New England region of the United States. Vermont is bordered by the states of Massachusetts to the south, New Hampshire to the east, and New York to the west, and the Canadian province of Quebec to the n ...

panels and iron grill

encasement Encasement is the coating over, covering or "encasing" of all building components, interior and exterior. This includes all roofing and toxic hazards materials, such as asbestos, lead-based paint, mold/mildew and other harmful substances, found ...

Gallery

File:OH-Columbus 1934 Ref.jpg, The courthouse in 1940 File:Joseph P. Kinneary United States Courthouse from Rhodes State.jpg, Aerial view File:Kinneary Courthouse 03.jpg, North facade File:Main lobby, Joseph P. Kinnerary U.S. Courthouse, Columbus, Ohio LCCN2010719592.tif, Main lobby File:Courtroom, Joseph P. Kinnerary U.S. Courthouse, Columbus, Ohio LCCN2010719602.tif, Courtroom File:Courtroom, Joseph P. Kinnerary U.S. Courthouse, Columbus, Ohio LCCN2010719595.tif, Courtroom File:Joseph P. Kinneary United States Courthouse undergoing reconstruction.jpg, Restorative work in 2012

References

External links

Southern District of Ohio website

U.S. General Services Administration website
Post office buildings on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Columbus, Ohio

Columbus Columbus is a Latinized version of the Italian surname "''Colombo''". It most commonly refers to: * Christopher Columbus (1451-1506), the Italian explorer * Columbus, Ohio, capital of the U.S. state of Ohio Columbus may also refer to: Places ...

Government buildings completed in 1934 Federal courthouses in the United States Buildings in downtown Columbus, Ohio 1934 establishments in Ohio Government buildings in Columbus, Ohio {{ColumbusOH-struct-stub

History

Attributes and design

Gallery

See also

References

External links