Photos By Lulu Nix

On January 31, more than 100 community members and civic leaders joined the National Park Service and Gateway Arch Park Foundation for a groundbreaking ceremony to commence the historic renovation of the Old Courthouse at Gateway Arch National Park. 

Construction will begin next week, marking the official beginning of the final phase of the CityArchRiver Project. Structural updates, which will help revitalize and maintain the building’s integrity, will include a new heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system; renovated ceilings and flooring; a new fire suppression system; and general restoration and improvements.

Perhaps most exciting are the all-new exhibit galleries which will focus on the Scott family’s fight for freedom and the relevancy of their case today; the post-Civil War era of civil rights and the exploration of African American life in St. Louis; the architectural features of the Old Courthouse; and the importance of courts in our society.

Partners in this endeavor include two St. Louis-based companies – the construction company Tarlton Corporation, and the architectural firm Trivers – as well as the exhibit design company, Haley Sharpe Designs, based in the U.K., who also designed the beautiful exhibits of the new Museum at the Gateway Arch, which opened in 2018.

“Today’s event is called Groundbreaking A New Vision for the Old Courthouse. The reason we chose that title is that, while we are not going to be breaking any physical ground today, we are taking the first step on a new journey for this historic building. Not only will the Old Courthouse be more accessible for people of all ability levels, but it will include updated exhibits to tell a fuller history, including Dred and Harriett Scott, freedom suits, women’s rights and our judicial system.” - Jeremy Sweat, Superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park