About Harlem Courthouse
Historic Architecture, Architecture, Interesting Places, Other Buildings And Structures
The Harlem Courthouse at 170 East 121st Street on the corner of Sylvan Place – a remnant of the former Boston Post Road – in the Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City, was built in 1891-93 and was designed by Thom & Wilson in the Romanesque Revival style. The brick, brownstone, bluestone, granite and terra cotta building features gables, archways, an octagonal corner tower and a four-faced clock. It was built for the Police and District Courts, but is now used by other city agencies.
In 1936, during the New Deal, Federal Art Project artist David Karfunkle painted a mural, "Exploitation of Labor and Hoarding of Wealth" on its third floor.