By Courtney Scott

On January 31, 2023, over 100 community members and civic leaders attended a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate plans to renovate The Old Courthouse at Gateway Arch National Park. These plans mark the final stage of the CityArchRiver project. 

In attendance was Ms. Lynne Jackson, President & Founder of the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation and great-great-granddaughter of Harriet and Dred Scott. Perhaps the most exciting update to the grounds will be the all-new exhibit galleries, which will focus on the Scott family’s fight for freedom and the relevancy of their case today. The galleries will also feature 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. 

Jackson talked about how the new plans will bring the historical legacy of Dred and Harriet Scott to the foreground for visitors. “Today we celebrate the fact that we are remembering them in a big way, in a significant way, in a way that when people walk into this Courthouse – like I did as a teenager – they won’t just see their small picture somewhere on a wall upstairs. Over the years, their story has come to light in a much more significant way, and I appreciate that.”  

“When many Americans think of the National Park Service, they often think of large natural parks, such as Yellowstone, Great Smoky Mountains, or the Grand Canyon,” stated Jeremy Sweat, Superintendent of Gateway Arch National Park, while speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony. “But the majority of the 424 units of the National Park System are historic sites, many of which tell some of our nation’s most important and complicated histories. That is why we are here today, at the Old Courthouse, to celebrate a major step forward for this building, which is a tangible reminder of the mistakes of our past, and of the progress that has been made in the fight for equality, freedom and justice for all Americans.” 

Renovations also include accessibility improvements, which, according to Gateway Arch Park Foundation Executive Director Ryan McClure, will mean that “for the first time in its history, the Old Courthouse will be accessible to visitors of all abilities, with the transformation of a former conference room into an elevator.” Renovations are expected to be completed by early 2025. 

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. 

*Renderings courtesy of Gateway Arch Park Foundation