If you make a visit to the newly renovated Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis, you will learn that the Law Library Association used to be housed there. What is the connection between the Law Library and the historic courthouse that was the site of the original Dred Scott and other memorable trials in Missouri history?
The Law Library Association of St. Louis was founded in 1838 by Charles Drake and several other prominent St. Louis attorneys. These attorneys were pooling their resources to acquire law books. Four years after its founding, when the number of books in its collection grew too big for its original space, the library moved to the Old Courthouse in St. Louis. The library’s collection continued to grow, and by 1856, the library needed to be moved to the second floor of the south wing of the Old Courthouse. In this location, the library had built-in bookcases covering two stories and a mezzanine catwalk (see the accompanying picture that is part of an exhibit at the renovated Old Courthouse). It was in this space until 1908, when it outgrew its allotted space in the Old Courthouse. The Library moved to a location just across the street so law books could be easily transported to the courtrooms and judges’ chambers in the courthouse. That building was the Pierce Building, which became the Adams Mark Hotel in the 1980s (now a Hyatt Regency). The Law Library was housed in the Pierce Building from 1908 through 1930. The Law Library moved into its current space on the thirteenth floor of the Civil Courts Building after its completion in 1930.
Find out more about the Law Library Association during its time at the Old Courthouse by visiting the Courthouse, located at 11 N. 4th Street. It is run by the National Park Service, admission is always free.