If people look closely at the new federal courthouse in Greenville when it is completed, they won’t see a lantern on the levee.
Instead, they’ll see a metaphor.
Roy Decker, co-lead designer, principal-in-charge at Duvall Decker Architects, said the courthouse has to be a central point in Greenville and tell the story of the town and its history.
One of those stories is of the levee and its role in protecting Greenville.
“The levee is a man-made object that protects the town and its people,” Decker said. “The U.S. Constitution is also a levee that protects us from the wilderness.”
Both the levee and the constitution require maintenance.
In the past, men walked the levee at night to find problems spots and lit those areas with lanterns as part of the ongoing maintenance of the barrier. The work they did was in public and out in the open. It’s the story told by Greenville’s William Alexander Percy’s seminal book, “Lanterns on the Levee” from 1941.
The federal courts maintain the constitution but often that work is done in the bowels of a building and the general public has no idea the court is even in session.
Like the work done on the levees in the past, Greenville’s new courthouse will do its work out in the open.
“The court is semi-transparent,” Decker said. “The work of the court is the lantern.”
The open, airy design is a 180-degree turn from the current court built after the establishment of the federal court in Greenville in the 1950s.
“Many of the old courts are buried deep inside the building,” Decker said. “The courtrooms themselves are visible (in the new design) and that means the idea of justice is open.”
The process to get to the current design of the building isn’t taken lightly, in fact, the design firm commissioned Michael Fazio, PhD, to compile a history of Greenville.
The history was in three parts:
- The history of the buildings in Greenville;
- The story of the people in Greenville; and
- The story of the court in Greenville.
The buildings in Greenville don’t follow a singular style, Decker said.
“Each of them were modern when they were built. Some look like a classical style now, but they were all modern when they were built.”
Because of Greenville’s history as a port, it’s cultural story is complex.
“We want to capture the cultural, social history of the people and tell the story of plantation owners, slaves, share croppers, the Jewish merchants and Chinese community.”
The history of the court in Greenville is not only important to Greenville, it’s important to the nation.
“It’s been important to the whole country through decision in civil rights cases and its placement in this area with its social and economic situation,” Decker said.
“We feel like the court is an important place in Greenville,” Decker said. “It could show the whole country how to behave. That’s how we started the process.”
When the Government Services Agency orders the construction of a building such as this federal courthouse, the order is for a building ready to last 100 years.
To that end, Decker said the building will be constructed in a way that it can be updated as technology changes.
“The old courthouse would almost have to be gutted to make any changes to the mechanicals,” Decker said. “The new courthouse will be flexible.”
The buildings also have to meet stringent requirements for security set forth by the GSA.
The designers have to consider where defendants, witnesses, families, judges and juries are moving through the building.
“The requirements are very technical,” Decker said. “But we take those requirements and design ideas and pull them all together.”
The initial design was the product of a small team but a large group of more than 20 people have had a hand in the finished design, one Decker said he hopes will be a central point for Greenville.
“The site at Stein Mart Square is so good because it allows us to make a good public space,” Decker said.
The site incorporates gardens around the building and becomes another public space.
“There are going to be three big green spaces now in downtown Greenville,” Decker said. “It’s going to expand downtown Greenville.”
With the design complete, the next steps include a ground breaking, which is expected to take place next spring, letting of bids for construction and then actual construction of the building.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do,” Decker said.
Work that wouldn’t have been accomplished without the help of Greenville Mayor Errick Simmons, Decker said.
“Your mayor has been a good team member on this project,” Decker said. “That’s really made a difference.
“This is a moment the Delta can come together and shine.”
