01 July 2007

The Court



Well, it's Supreme Court decision season again, but did you know that the highest court in the land has occupied its current building for only the past seventy years? Before the 1930's, the Court didn't have a home of its own - it met in the basement of the Capitol building. Then, in the 1920's, Chief Justice (and former President - the only man ever to have served in both Judicial and Executive Branches) William Howard Taft proposed that a Supreme Court Building be erected a short distance from the Capitol. Taft, along with such justices as Louis Brandeis and Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., oversaw the planning and construction of the building, which was completed in 1935.

If you're ever sightseeing in Washington, go see the Court! It's not heavily touristed and is well worth a trip.

1 comment:

TNS said...

Later this week, Dick Cheney will announce that he is also part of the judicial branch making him the first VP to serve in all branches of the government at the same time.