Oregon Supreme Court building to close for two-year renovation

SALEM, Ore. — The historic Oregon Supreme Court — the oldest government building on the Capitol Mall — is set to empty out in October for two years of renovations including earthquake reinforcements and safety upgrades.

Services at the century-old court building, which includes the Oregon Supreme Court and the Oregon Court of Appeals courtroom, the State of Oregon Law Library, the Oregon Judicial Department and Appellate Court Records, will be spread to different locations throughout Salem.

It will cost about $51 million and displace 56 employees, according to Oregon Judicial Department spokesman Todd Sprague.

“This has been the seat of the Supreme Court and the home of the judicial branch in Oregon for over 100 years,” Oregon Supreme Court Justice Thomas Balmer said. “With these upgrades, we can ensure that it will be our home and the locus for the Supreme Court and focal point of the entire courts system for another 100 years.”

Over the past year, staff members have hauled tens of thousands of volumes from its law library collection to new locations.

The second-floor library has been home to historic documents that date to the 15th century.

State Law Librarian Cathryn Bowie estimated they used 8,000 boxes during the move, sometimes individually wrapping the centuries-old rare books before personally escorting them out of the building.

Many have ornate hand-lettering, marbled paper and oiled-leather covers. Some legal ledgers date to before 1859, when Oregon became a state.

“Some of them are gorgeous,” Bowie said. “They’re works of art.”

Rich history comes to light

Bowie walked through the marbled hallways of the Supreme Court building detailing the history of each room — a gap in the ceiling said to be haunted, a vault used to store rare books, a crate of books left unopened since 1914, and a door in a justice’s chamber that literally leads to nowhere.

Construction on the three-story building was completed in 1914.

It was built in the Beaux Arts-style, with white, glazed terracotta tiles, flat roof, Ionic columns and ornamental architecture reminiscent of the former Capitol building that burned down in 1935.

Before then, the Supreme Court assembled in the Capitol. Had they still been there in 1935, the court and law library would’ve been lost in the fire, Bowie said.

After receiving funding from the legislature in 1911, construction began. The building cost $320,000.

The interior features an ornate spiral staircase, marble floors and an iconic stained glass skylight of the state seal of Oregon above the courtroom.

After the ceiling was damaged in the 1962 Columbus Day Storm, the skylight, made by premier artisans at Povey Brothers Art Glass Works, was restored with many of the original pieces.

When the sun is just right, the opalescent glass of the skylight occasionally lights the courtroom up in an “absolutely gorgeous” orange blaze, Bowie said.

The intimacy and the elegance of the courtroom speak to the important work that goes on there, Balmer said.

Bowie, who’s worked in the building for 16 years, got married in the courtroom.

The airy, high ceilings and carefully crafted architecture lend a special beauty to a building.

“It gives stature and a kind of grace to the Supreme Court,” she said. “You feel it when you walk in the building.”

But, she added, a few upgrades are needed. When the court opened, women could not serve on juries or didn’t typically act as attorneys so the availability of women’s restrooms was limited. Seismic and electrical upgrades are also sorely needed, Bowie said.

“We don’t want to interfere with the look and feel of this beautiful area,” she said. “I don’t think it’s unusual for people to personify a building. You want to protect it.”

Newest justice gets ‘broom closet’

The first floor houses the Appellate Court Records, and the law library in located on the second floor. The Supreme and Appeals courts share a courtroom on the third floor, where justices’ chambers are also located.

According to the Oregon Historical Society’s Oregon Encyclopedia, the smallest chamber, known as “the broom closest,” is traditionally assigned to the newest justice.

The rumor was that the canvas awnings that previously shaded the windows were removed after a justice’s cigarette ash set one ablaze, Bowie said.

The original furnishings in the courtroom a note penciled in a drawer of the chief justice’s desk reading, “Feb. 14, 1914. This building first occupied by the Supreme Court” followed by a list of the justices’ names.

Since then, every justice to serve the court has etched his or her name in the drawer.

The first session of court was held on the 55th anniversary of Oregon’s statehood.

Over the years, several landmark cases involving the death penalty, free speech, punitive damages from cigarette companies, and obscenity have been argued in the court.

During renovations in 1981, the mahogany-filled courtroom was refurbished with Italian silk paneling, hand-painted carpet and new furniture built by inmates.

Earthquake retrofit needed

Beginning in November, the building will undergo renovations to preserve and protect the historic structure and improve safety, function, efficiency, and access for years to come, Sprague said.

The project will include earthquake reinforcement and upgrades to heating, cooling, electrical, technology, and plumbing systems to meet modern standards.

“It needs a seismic upgrade,” Balmer said. “If, when we have the big earthquake, the current building would not survive.”

Plumbing, some of which is still the original plumbing, also needs to be replaced. Balmer said staff typically don’t drink the water as a safety precaution because of possible lead.

He anticipates that heating, ventilation and electrical upgrades will make the building more energy-efficient.

Renovations are expected to take two years.

It’s time to bring those parts of the building up the 21st-century level help make it last into the 22nd century, Balmer said.

The history of the building wasn’t always appreciated. A former justice was quoted in a May 1950 article in The Oregon Statesman calling it “outmoded” and saying its proximity to the railroad tracks interfered with the functions of the court. He requested funds from the Legislature to build a new Supreme Court building.

Fortunately, Balmer said, the building was not razed. Upgrades were made, and appreciation for the history and architecture grew.

“When I think of the men and women who have served as judges and come and gone ... it is just a critical part of this branch of government,” Balmer said. “This is its home. This is where people will keep doing the work of the courts and applying the law for another 100 years in this building.”

It feels good to be part of that, he said.

Moves roll out in October

Starting Friday, the Oregon Supreme Court, the Appellate Commissioner’s Office and the Appellate Court Services Division, which includes Appellate Court Records, the State of Oregon Law Library, and Oregon Judicial Department Publications, will move to a temporary location at 2850 Broadway St. NE.

Offices will be re-open for business on Oct. 7. The mailing address for court business will remain the same.

And starting Nov. 1, most Supreme Court oral arguments will be held in the temporary location.

The State of Oregon Law Library will be housed at the temporary location in a reduced physical capacity.

Though physical materials will still be available, there may be some delay as many resources are being stored off-site, Sprague said.

Public tours of the building were halted leading up to the move but will be resumed after the renovation is completed.