Jesse Friedman Seeks To Clear His Name
The old Nassau County Courthouse on Franklin Avenue in Mineola was constructed in the early years of the twentieth century. While the restoration project was under way in 2002 the building was renamed the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building. The former President laid the cornerstone for the building in 1900.
It is believed that this was the first public building in the nation to be built using reinforced concrete construction. The walls are said to be three feet thick in some places.
To learn more about the restoration, visit the Society For the Preservation of Long Island Antiquities web site.
The structure was designed by New York City architect William B. Tubby in the Classical Revival style. Its most distinctive feature is a white dome, which some say is reminiscent of the U.S. Capitol Building. Additions were added in the 1920’s and 1940’s to accommodate the needs of a rapidly growing county. Renovations were carried out in a slipshod fashion, and the courthouse has been in a general state of disrepair for most of its existence.
This site hasn’t served as a courthouse since the 1940’s, when a new court complex was built nearby. It has been used for County offices off and on since then.
A new wing built onto the rear of the original courthouse building now houses the Nassau County Legislature.
The Courthouse was added to The National Register of Historic Places in 1978.
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