The New Mexico Supreme Court Building is a courthouse located in the city of
Santa Fe, county of
Santa Fe, in the
U.S. state
In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its sover ...
of
New Mexico
)
, population_demonym = New Mexican ( es, Neomexicano, Neomejicano, Nuevo Mexicano)
, seat = Santa Fe
, LargestCity = Albuquerque
, LargestMetro = Tiguex
, OfficialLang = None
, Languages = English, Spanish ( New Mexican), Navajo, Ker ...
. Both the
New Mexico Supreme Court
The New Mexico Supreme Court is the highest court in the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is established and its powers defined by Article VI of the New Mexico Constitution. It is primarily an appellate court which reviews civil and criminal decisi ...
and
New Mexico Court of Appeals
The New Mexico Court of Appeals (in case citation, N.M. Ct. App.) is the intermediate-level appellate court for the state of New Mexico.
History
The court of appeals was created by a constitutional amendment submitted to the electorate in a ...
operate in the building. It was added to the
in 2002.
History
Built in 1937 for $307,000, this
Territorial Revival style public structure with hand-carved wood interiors was built by the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
. The state of New Mexico issued bonds of $175,000 to pay for its portion of the construction costs, and a tax of $2.50 was levied on each civil case docketed.
During the
Cold War
The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...
in the 1950s, the building doubled as a
fallout shelter
A fallout shelter is an enclosed space specially designated to protect occupants from radioactive debris or fallout resulting from a nuclear explosion. Many such shelters were constructed as civil defense measures during the Cold War.
During ...
.
Renovations
The original two elevators and a third elevator added in the 1960s have been upgraded to current standards. Over the decades, piping and court seating were upgraded, as were the electrical and heating systems, water pipes, communications lines, and emergency/fire alarm system. The building now has a digital telephone system. Structural and interior design renovations have brought the building up to date.
See also
*
References
External links
New Mexico Supreme Court official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:New Mexico Supreme Court Building
Buildings and structures in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Government of New Mexico
Government buildings in New Mexico
Territorial Revival architecture
Government buildings completed in 1937
Courthouses in New Mexico
Works Progress Administration in New Mexico
National Register of Historic Places in Santa Fe, New Mexico