June 2000
As early as 1912, when he was President, Chief Justice William Howard Taft, began lobbying for a separate home for the Supreme Court, which had always been housed in the U.S. Capitol since arriving in Washington in 1800. As Chief Justice, Taft finally convinced Congress to fund the construction of the Supreme Court building in 1929. Finally, the Supreme Court had it's own home, when it held its first session in the building on October 7, 1935.
Interestingly, neither Taft nor the building's architect, Cass Gilbert, lived to see the building open. Taft died in 1930, and Gilbert died in 1934.
Learn more about the Supreme Court.
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A view of the west façade of the Supreme Court building, directly across the street from the U.S. Capitol. |
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A view of the west façade of the Supreme Court building, directly across the street from the U.S. Capitol. |
