The Four Courts Building in St. Louis

(Many thanks to StLGS treasurer, Viki Fagyal, for contributing this interesting bit of St. Louis history.)

If your ancestors had business with the police department, jail, morgue, or a St. Louis City court between 1871 and 1907, they completed that business at Four Courts. The Four Courts building could be described as one-stop shopping. Built in 1871, it replaced the previous courthouse and city jail. Four Courts "occupies the square formed by Clark Avenue and Spruce Street on the north and south and Eleventh and Twelfth streets on the east and west. On its site formerly stood the mansion of Henry Chouteau, whose property extended in the form of a peninsula into a small lake then known as Chouteau's Pond.* Only three courts were housed in the building; however, "it is said that the name originated with one of the judges, a native of Ireland, who bestowed the name upon it on account of its resemblance to the Four Courts at Dublin.*

"The Four Courts building included the Criminal Court, the Court of Criminal Correction on the third floor; the Police Courts, Grand Jury rooms, City Marshal, and City Sheriff on the first floor, along with the offices of the Circuit and Prosecuting Attorneys. Police Headquarters were located on the second floor. The armory was located in the basement. The Police Stables were on the Twelfth street side where the 'hoodlum wagon' was kept. The Dead Animal Contractor's office was on the Eleventh street side of the building. The Coroner's office was at the corner of Eleventh and Clark. The Morgue was located at the corner of Twelfth and Spruce."*

Executions by hanging took place in the courtyard of the jail with up to 200 visitors as witnesses. The city morgue was situated in a one-story brick building in the southwest corner of the jail yard, making space for identification of unknown corpses.*

Many naturalizations for the period of Four Courts' existence were finalized at Criminal Court and the Court of Criminal Correction. Your ancestor may have visited this old St. Louis landmark. All references describe the beauty and grandeur of the Four Courts building. Many photographs and drawings are available by searching online. The building was demolished in stages beginning with a condemnation of the Four Courts in 1916 and ending in 1927 with demolition of the morgue building.

Sources:
*1: Thomas J. Scharf, History of Saint Louis City and County, From the Earliest Periods to the Present Day Including Biographical Sketches of Representative Men, Vol. II (Philadelphia: Louis H. Everts & Co., 1883), 733.
*2: Ibid.
*3: "SLMPD Complete Historic Photo Collection: St. Louis Police in Four Courts," St. Louis Police Veterans' Association, City of St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, City of St. Louis, Missouri (http://www.slpva.com/historic/saintlouifourcourts.html : accessed 11 July 2016).
*4: Joseph A. Dacus and James William Buel, A Tour of St. Louis: Or, The Inside Life of a Great City (St. Louis: Western Publishing Co., 1878) 533.