Queens County | US Courthouses

Queens County is named for Catherine of Braganza, who was Queen of England and the wife of King Charles II of England.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Bronx County and Nassau County

E – Nassau County

S – Atlantic Ocean and Kings County

W – New York County and Bronx County

Created: November 1, 1683

County Seat:

Jamaica 1683 – 1870

Long Island 1870 – 1898

New York 1898

County Courthouse – New York ( Jamaica )

Location: 11 Sutphin Boulevard / 88th Avenue

Built: 1938 – 1940

Style: Classical

Architect: Alfred E Eccles and W W Knowles

Contractor: John J Kennedy & Company of Manhattan

Description: The building faces southwest and is a six story concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds. The southwest front has a two story recessed porch with eight columns rising to a header. A projecting cornice run between the fourth and fifth stories. The building houses the office of the Eleventh Judicial District.

Note: The first courthouse was built in Mineola ( Nassau County ) in 1790 and the previous courthouse was built on Jamaica Avenue in 1870. The building was torn down in 1940.

County Criminal Courthouse – New York ( Jamaica )

Location: 125 Queens Boulevard / Hoover Avenue

Built: 1956 – 1961

Style: Modern

Architect: Alfred Easton Poor and William Gehron

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces south and is a seven story concrete and glass structure. The building is H shaped. The southeast front has a long semi-circular one story section with glass panel walls.

Note: The cost of construction was $21,000,000.

County Civil Courthouse – New York ( Jamaica )

Location: 15 Sutphin Boulevard / 89th Avenue

Built: 1994 – 1997

Style: Modern

Architect: Perkins Eastman

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces southwest and is a five story steel, stone, concrete and glass structure. The building is located to the south of the Queens County Courthouse. The building has two wings with an southeast wing extending to the street line and a northeast wing which has a plaza on the south side and a central entrance on the first story. There is a common glass encased lobby. The building is composed of limestone, granite and blue colored glass. The roof line is flat. The building houses the Civil Court and Supreme Court.

Note: The cost of construction was $67,700,000.

County Courthouse – New York ( Long Island )

Location: 25 Court Square / Jackson Avenue

Built: 1872 – 1876

Style: Renaissance Revival

Architect: George Hawthorne

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces northwest and is a four story stone, ceramic title, limestone and metal structure. The northwest front has four columns with an arched entrance between on the first story. On the inside, a grand marble staircase rises up to wood-paneled hallways and courtrooms on three stories. There is a double-height, skylighted courtroom on the third story. Wooden door frames and decorative plaster ceilings maintain the classical style of the exterior. The building was remodeled and enlarged in 1904 after a fire. The architect was Peter M Coco and the contractor was Charles Willie. The adjoining parking garage was designed by Skidmore, Owings and Merril of Chicago in 1988.

Note: Queens County in New Brunswick was named for Queens County settlers.