WHAT:  Dedication of the Historic Courthouse, following a comprehensive restoration of this nearly 200-year-old building, as the new home for the District’s highest court, the DC Court of Appeals.  
 
**PRESS WALK-THROUGH, with Chief Judge Washington and Project Architect Hany Hassan, will be held at 10:30 a.m. on June 17th.  Cameras, both still and television, as well as audio recorders, will be allowed on this tour. 
 
WHERE:  Historic Courthouse 430 E Street, NW 
 
 
BACKGROUND:  Originally designed by George Hadfield in 1820 to serve as the Courthouse and City Hall for the District of Columbia, the Historic Courthouse is a National Historic Landmark and one of the oldest public buildings in the District of Columbia. Located between the White House and the US Capitol, Judiciary Square was designed by Pierre L’Enfant to be one of the most important green spaces in Washington, second in importance only to the National Mall.  
 
Prominently located at the heart of Judiciary Square, the Historic Courthouse has been the setting for many notable events in our nation’s history. Daniel Webster and Francis Scott Key practiced law in the building, and John Surratt’s trial for his part in the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln took place there.  In addition, the National Park Service recently designated the courthouse as an essential part of the Underground Railroad’s Network to Freedom.  This designation was based on the Historic Courthouse being the site of the trials for the captain and the owner of the The Pearl, a schooner on which seventy-seven slaves sought transport to freedom in 1848, as well as reportedly being the site where President Lincoln signed the DC Emancipation Act into law on April 16, 1862. 
 
The courthouse was in need of a comprehensive overhaul.  Noted preservation and design firm Beyer Blinder Belle developed the restoration and renovation program with the goal of restoring the architectural landmark to its original grandeur, while at the same time, transforming it into a fully-functioning modern courthouse.