The final phase of the $380 million project to update the front door to St. Louis is one step closer to starting. Tarlton Corporation has been selected to manage a $24 million renovation to the Old Courthouse in downtown St. Louis.
The courthouse is known for being the place where Dred Scott and Harriet Scott sued for their freedom in 1846. Ryan McClure of the Gateway Arch Park Foundation joined KMOX to talk about the renovations planned for the Old Courthouse on the Arch grounds — and pointed out that it has much more history even beyond the Dred Scott decision.
"There were about 300 other freedom suits that were assigned, filed at the old courthouse by enslaved individuals. Around that time, some of them were won, many of them were lost," McClure said. "But through this renovation, we're actually going to be able to lift up those stories, not only focusing more on Dred and Harriet Scott as people and their courage, but also the 300 other individuals that sued for their freedom in that building."
One case that also has history at the Old Courthouse, he said, is the Virginia Minor suit of 1872, which sought to give women the right to vote.
"It was really kind of at the precipice of the suffrage movement. So we'll be able to lift that story up as well and focus on that, but there's just so much history in that building," he said. "Not just the history of our city, but the history of our entire country. And I think a lot of people over the years have not really felt like the building was even ever really open to the public and haven't visited it. So through this project, we're just excited to be able to make it more accessible."
Aside from adding history, the renovations will make the historic courthouse more physically accessible, with ramps and elevators available to allow those with mobility issues to access the site.
McClure said they're working with experts on the project — this is only the second renovation in the building's more than 150-year history.
"This renovation is a long time coming because we have to do it right. The building is too important to not do it that way and take our time," he said. "The Arch is ours, Gateway Arch National Park undeniably represents St. Louis to the entire world. The old courthouse is the same. This belongs to St. Louis. Yes, it is a huge part of our shared American story, but it belongs to the people of St. Louis, so it's right for us to invest in it."
The new galleries in the building will feature a more detailed dedication to the story of Harriet and Dred Scott, plus other freedom suits, African American life in St. Louis at the time, and more.
Hear more about the renovations coming to the Old Courthouse:
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