Supreme Court Building (Puerto Rico)

Building in San Juan, Puerto Rico

United States historic place

Supreme Court Building

U.S. National Register of Historic Places

Main façade (west) of the Supreme Court Building (foreground)

Location| Luis Muñoz Rivera Park
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Coordinates| 18°27′47″N 66°05′18″W﻿ / ﻿18.46306°N 66.08833°W﻿ / 18.46306; -66.08833
Area| 4 acres (total site)
Built| 1955
Architect| Osvaldo Toro; Miguel Ferrer
Architectural style| Modern Movement
NRHP reference No.| 06000506[1]
Added to NRHP| June 14, 2006

The Supreme Court Building (Spanish: Edificio del Tribunal Supremo) is the seat of the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, the highest court of the judicial branch in the U.S. territory, located within the grounds of the Luis Muñoz Rivera Park in the Puerta de Tierra historic district of San Juan, the capital municipality. Built by the Toro Ferrer firm in 1955, the Tropical Modern, International Style courthouse is a three-story, rectangular edifice projected over a perpendicular reflecting pool. Situated in the eastern end of San Juan Islet, it is about 1 mile (1.6 km) from the Capitol, seat of the legislative branch, in the middle of the Islet near the entrance to the Old San Juan historic quarter, and 2 miles (3.2 km) from the La Fortaleza, seat of the executive branch, in the western end of the Islet in Old San Juan. It was listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2006.[2][3]

The Supreme Court building is home to the Supreme Court of Puerto Rico, the highest court in the archipelago and island, and is the successor to the Real Audiencia Territorial (Royal Territorial Court), a court of appeals with jurisdiction over Puerto Rico first founded by the Spanish Empire in 1832. Its construction marked the newly established commonwealth status of Puerto Rico, which was specified in the Constitution of Puerto Rico in 1952. The building was officially inaugurated in February 1956 with U.S. Supreme Court chief justice Earl Warren as the main speaker.[2]

The courthouse was designed by Puerto Rican architects Osvaldo Toro and Miguel Ferrer with design consultation by Charles H. Warner Jr. and Harold Eliot Leeds. Featuring a Tropical Modern design, the building has been described as "extroverted...light and airy".[2] Its circular courtroom under a dome was a unique element meant to symbolize the equality of people.[4] Two additional complementary buildings were subsequently constructed on the immediate northern side to function as the library of the court.

Postcard image of the Supreme Court Building, 1958

## See also

[edit]

* National Register of Historic Places listings in San Juan, Puerto Rico

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. ^ a b c Juan Llanos Santos and Karen Gonzalez Jenson (2006). "National Register of Historic Places Registration: Supreme Court Building". National Park Service. and Accompanying six photos, exterior and interior, from 2006
3. ^ Mignucci, Andrés (2012). [Con]texts: Parque Muñoz Rivera and the Puerto Rico Supreme Court. Translated by Andrew Hurley. Rama Judicial de Puerto Rico.
4. ^ Campbell-Page, Theresa; Bell, Shannon; Quaide, Rustin; Joeckel, Jeff (September 14, 2001). "Celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month". www.nps.gov.

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National Register of Historic Places in San Juan, Puerto Rico

National Historic Landmarks|

* Casa Dra. Concha Meléndez Ramírez
* La Fortaleza

National Historic
Landmark District|

* Distrito Histórico del Viejo San Juan – Old San Juan Historic District
* Castillo San Cristóbal
* Castillo San Felipe del Morro
* Castillo San Felipe del Morro Lighthouse
* City Wall of San Juan
* Fortín San Juan de la Cruz

Districts|

* Acueducto de San Juan
* El Falansterio de Puerta de Tierra
* Instituto Loaiza Cordero para Niños Ciegos Historic District
* Línea Avanzada
* Puerta de Tierra Historic District – Distrito Histórico de Puerta de Tierra
* San Juan National Historic Site

Buildings|

* Administration Building
* Antiguo Casino de Puerto Rico
* Biblioteca Carnegie
* El Capitolio de Puerto Rico
* Carcel de Puerta de Tierra
* Casa de España
* Casa Klumb
* Casa Vigil
* Central High School
* Church of San Mateo de Cangrejos of Santurce
* Church, School, Convent and Parish House of San Agustín
* Colegio de las Madres del Sagrado Corazón
* Condado Vanderbilt Hotel
* Rafael Cordero Graded School
* Edificio Aboy
* Edificio Comunidad de Orgullo Gay de Puerto Rico
* Edificio del Valle
* Edificio Patio Español
* Edificio Victory Garden
* Escuela Brambaugh
* Escuela Graduado José Celso Barbosa
* Figueroa Apartments
* Gran Logia Espiritual Número 1
* Hotel Normandie
* House at 659 Concordia Street
* House at 659 La Paz Street
* House at 663 La Paz Street
* House at 665 McKinley Street
* La Giralda
* Miami Building
* Nuestra Señora de Lourdes Chapel
* Polvorín de Miraflores
* Puerto Rico Ilustrado – Edificio El Mundo
* Puerto Rico Island Penitentiary
* Rafael M. Labra High School
* Residencia Aboy–Lompre
* Residencia de Señoritas Universidad de Puerto Rico; Río Piedras
* Residencia Luis Muñoz Marín
* Rum Pilot Plant
* School of Tropical Medicine
* Superintendent of Lighthouses' Dwelling
* Supreme Court Building
* Templo del Maestro
* U.S. Custom House
* U.S. Post Office and Courthouse
* University of Puerto Rico Tower and Quadrangle
* Villa Victoria

Sites|

* Fortín de San Gerónimo de Boquerón

Structures|

* Hiram Bithorn Municipal Stadium
* Faro del Morro
* Luis Muñoz Rivera Park
* Mural "La Familia"
* General Norzagaray Bridge
* Martín Peña Bridge
* Río Piedras Bridge
* San Antonio Railroad Bridge

See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in San Juan, Puerto Rico and List of National Historic Landmarks in Puerto Rico

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