Suddenly, a parade unfolds before the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse. It is complete with speeches by prominent officials. The courthouse stands tall. It is located at 231 West Lafayette Boulevard in downtown Detroit.
The Theodore Levin United States Courthouse is also known as the Detroit Federal Building. This high-rise building occupies an entire block. Shelby Street borders it to the east. Washington Boulevard is to the west. West Fort Street is to the south. West Lafayette Boulevard is to the north.
Construction of the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse began in 1932. It finished in 1934. The building has 10 stories. Its top floor is 150 feet from the first floor entrance. The roof is 184 feet high.
Theodore Levin United States Courthouse showcases Art Deco and art moderne styles. Granite and limestone are incorporated into its structure. The main facade features limestone over polished black stone. Relief sculptures of eagles and emblems adorn the entrance. They symbolize the building’s governmental function.
Inside Theodore Levin United States Courthouse, an open-center court rises above the second floor. The seventh floor houses the Chief Judge’s Courtroom. It is decorated in Romanesque style. Chief Judge Arthur Tuttle requested that the courtroom from the previous building be saved. It was disassembled and stored. Then, it was reassembled in the new building.
Before the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse, Fort Lernoult stood here. It was later named Fort Shelby. The 1897 U.S. Post Office, Courthouse, and Custom House also occupied this site.
Federal authorization for the present building occurred during Herbert Hoover’s presidency. Robert O. Derrick designed the Detroit Federal Building. James A. Wetmore oversaw the project.
The exterior of the Theodore Levin United States Courthouse features sculptures by Corrado Parducci. He designed panels and medallions. They depict various agencies of the federal government.
Congress designated the courthouse as the “Theodore Levin United States Courthouse” in 1994. A ceremony in 1995 celebrated this designation. New building signs were placed on Lafayette Boulevard and Fort Street. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2018.
The Theodore Levin United States Courthouse’s structural system uses a steel frame. It rests on concrete caissons. Concrete is used for floor slabs and fire-proofing. The exterior stone cladding hangs from the steel frame.
All four exterior elevations are similar. Primary entries are on the north and south sides. Vehicular openings are on the east and west. The base is clad with polished black granite and limestone. The middle portion features smooth-cut limestone. The upper portion has vertically grouped windows.
The building originally had plans for two more stories. These were replaced by penthouses due to budget shortfalls. The vaulted public concourse extends north to south. It connects the primary entries on the first floor. The concourse once provided public access to postal services.
One notable feature is the Chief Judge’s Courtroom. Newspapers called it the “million dollar courtroom”. It contains more than 30 types of marble. The bench is carved from East Indian mahogany. Two 12-foot columns of Italian marble flank it. Behind the bench, a frieze depicts the purity of justice. Chief Justice John Roberts called it one of the finest courtrooms he has seen.
Theodore Levin served as a U.S. District Court judge. President Harry Truman appointed him in 1946. He served as chief judge from 1959 to 1967.