2-27-2008

Mineola, NY – Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi today hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to open the newly restored Old Courthouse in Mineola, which was renamed the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building. The goal of the project, which began in May of 2002, was to restore the Old Courthouse in its entirety and rededicate it as the centerpiece of the county seat.

On July 13, 1900, the then-Governor of New York, Theodore Roosevelt, laid a three-foot-long granite cornerstone at the northeast corner of the building, once considered to be one of the finest buildings in the state. It remained the center of Nassau County government until the beginning of World War II.

The renovation improved the building’s infrastructure, abated hazardous materials, and preserved and restored the building’s historic architecture, which includes a gilded rotunda and murals depicting historic local events. The murals were designed by Robert Gaston Herbert of Sea Cliff and commissioned by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression.

In addition, the building also now includes a new legislative and administrative wing that will provide ready access for the County’s constituents and provide efficient working areas for the Legislative and Executive Branches of County government.

Suozzi will invite the public to a party on Sunday, July 13, 2008, which is the same date that Teddy Roosevelt opened the Courthouse. Please see below for the text of the County Executive’s remarks today.

Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building Opening

February 27, 2008

Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi

The great thing about a building project is that you know when it starts and you can see the finished product. But as you can see by the tragic crime that happened on Sunday, the work of government is an ongoing process by which we try to improve people’s lives day by day. I would like to ask for a moment of silence for Jewell Ward, Michael Demesyeux, and Innocent Demesyeux

106 years ago today, at about this same time of day, at this same spot, on February 27, 1902, this building - the newly constructed Nassau County Courthouse opened for public inspection. This was Nassau County’s first government building- a new building, for a new County, in a new century. The Brooklyn Eagle, once America’s most widely read afternoon paper, reported in February 1902:

“The Board of Supervisors of Nassau County held open house at the courthouse and jail today and as a result this place has been a Mecca of Nassau taxpayers, who came from far and near to see what kind of a court house and jail this county really had. The general verdict of all who went through the buildings was that Nassau County has as fine public building as any County in the state”.

Today, February 27, 2008, we restore Nassau County to its special standing with the opening of the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative building - "as fine a public building as any County in the State."

This building is named after then Governor Theodore Roosevelt, who laid the cornerstone on this very site on July 13, 1900.

At that time, he was running for Vice-President of the United States of America, this independent-minded Republican, great conservationist, fearless police commissioner and battler for democracy. After a long struggle against the odds, he had defeated the New York bosses, both Republican and Democratic, and ushered in a new era of good government in New York State.

The long blast of a steam whistle greeted the arrival of a carriage holding Nassau County's most famous and beloved resident, escorted to the speaker's platform by the Port Washington Band and the Boys' Brigade of Hempstead.

Governor Theodore Roosevelt took the platform on that day and spoke. "Fundamentally," he said, "the average man must do his part in the work of self-government and make his representatives feel the results he wishes...Free government is not a gift that can be handed out by the celestial powers, but only by hard work under self-government..."

At that time, our newly formed Nassau County possessed no government buildings and meetings were held at the Old Fireman’s Hall on Main Street in Mineola. Our newly formed county, once part on Queens County in New York City was truly in its infancy.

The courthouse, designed by William B. Tubby and built by John D. Cosgrove a resident of the City of Glen Cove whose lowest bid of $438,000 won him the construction project, was completed almost a year and half later from that summer day in July, on December 13, 1901, and became the architectural symbol of the new county in a new century. Tubby selected a reinforced concrete structural system, the first public building of its type and the very first time EVER this type of building technique was used.

Shortly after that, the Old Courthouse became the center of county government until the beginning of World War II. Once considered one of the finest buildings in the state, the Old Courthouse boasted supreme coffered ceilings, Ionic columns, a gilded rotunda and murals depicting historic local events designed by Robert Gaston Herbert of Sea Cliff and commissioned by the Works Progress Administration during the Great Depression.

Unfortunately, this building, once our symbol of civic pride, which appeared in Hollywood movies as the American courthouse, laid in decay, much like our county government itself, and became a symbol of our civic shame.

Just six short years ago our County was rated the "worst run County in America" and this building reflected it. Like the County finances it had been neglected for years. Like the county’s reputation, the murals were stained and the plaster was crumbling. Like the County’s morale, the building systems had grown sluggish and dulled due to lack of attention and upgrade.

Today, just as it had in 1902, this building now symbolizes the great promises of our County, its people and its future. It reflects our great heritage and stands firmly as a commitment to – and strong confidence in – our future. It is technologically state-of- the art and it demands the highest level of dedication and hard work from the public servants who inhabit it and respect for the people they represent.

This building will now house the staff of the County Executive and the Nassau County Legislature. I ask everyone to sit back and reflect for a moment, reflect upon the great things we must do here as a government to be worthy of working in these halls. Even though this building has been restored along with our finances and our civic pride, a great deal of work remains.

The horrific crime reported over the past few days highlights that with all the good we have done and accomplishments we can proudly cite, our government is and will always be a work in progress for the good of our county and all its residents, and that we must never lose sight of.

But, we are now at a point where we can focus on improving our operations while we take on tough new challenges, launch new initiatives, plan for our future in a thoughtful way and even lead a statewide effort to tackle our single greatest problem – property taxes. All of this from a building that reflects the greatness of our County.

When I first became County Executive, I climbed into the attic of this very room. I was astonished at what I had found – behind a dropped ceiling was this extraordinary 18 foot vaulted one. This grand room had been divided into small offices and cubby holes. A hallway ran through where I stand right now. The original vision of this building had been lost and some of its greatest features, like those in this room, had been hidden.

Now, just as we attempt to restore our historic affordable suburban vision and complement it with a modern "New Suburbia", we have restored the historic integrity of this building and added on a new modern addition that does not attempt to replicate the original design, but instead attempts to complement it.

Nassau County, with a population of over 1.3 million, is larger than 7 states. It is larger than the populations of Boston, San Francisco, Dallas, and San Diego. And its budget of $2.5 billion is greater than 16 states. We now have a public building worthy of our size and stature.

Winston Churchill once said "we shape our buildings, and then they shape us." We have shaped this building and I believe it will shape and inspire the public servants housed within to be even better than we have been. I believe it will inspire us to the greatness that was envisioned for our County when Theodore Roosevelt first laid the cornerstone in 1900.

Thank you to everyone for making it happen.

I would like to make the following acknowledgements- without the help and hard work of the following people this restoration would not have been possible:

Nassau First Corporation: Marguerite H. Suozzi, Patricia L. Randolph, Barry M. Osborn, Clayton A. Prugh, and benefactors, Nancy Rauch Douzinas/ The Rauch Foundation, Horace & Amy Hagedorn, Rene and Geoffrey T. Boisi/ The Boisi Family Foundation, and John D. Miller.

I would like share with you a note sent to me by John D. Miller, who could not be with us today. Mr. Miller donated funds in the amount of $200,000 to the Nassau First Charitable Trust to cover all costs involved in the dome restoration project. We are all very grateful for Mr. Miller’s generosity and his dedication to county’s pride and history. He wrote:

I received your invitation to attend the reopening on the 27th...unfortunately (well, not really), Kristin and I will be in the Galapagos at that time and unable to attend.

I barely knew you when you invited me to your office a few years ago and boldly asked me for $200,000 to help save the dome and this important part of our county's history. You were so excited by what you saw as both a symbolic and yet very real opportunity to fix this county treasure that had been so neglected, I had to say YES. Then came the hard part...you asked me if I could get Horace Hagedorn to match my contribution! If you remember, it took a couple of calls to him in Florida from both of us and more importantly some pressure from Amy, but the most compassionate Republican (I have my doubts about this still) I ever met came through as he did so many times for so many people!

I took a lot of ribbing from my sons for a few years each time we drove past that dilapidated building...I guess they both figured they had each effectively given half, but I kept telling them to wait, Mr. Suozzi will get it done. A few weeks ago, I got my chance after all those comments when I drove past the building with my boys. It looks fantastic and I was able to tell them that it really started with your dream...and my dollars! I couldn't be more proud to know that I had a little (very little compared to how much money you eventually raised) something to do with returning an important part of Nassau's history to it's once glorious condition. I can't begin to imagine the pride you must have in knowing what you've been able to do for the county as a whole.

As I photograph red and blue footed boobies, giant tortoises and everything else I come near on the 27th, a small part of me will be on the corner of Franklin and Old Country Road, very proud to have played a part! As for Horace...he'll be there in spirit...complaining that you're not using enough Miracle-Gro on the lawn and shrubs!

PS-I hope its cold enough on the 27th to keep you from entering on horseback...again!

I would also like to thank the Rauch Foundation for donated the funds to restore the of the four oil-on canvas murals, which depict important events in Nassau’s history. The murals were completed in 1937 and 1938 by Robert Gaston Herbert, a Nassau County artist who lived in Sea Cliff, NY. Jonathan Sherman of Sherman Art Conservation restored the murals, and he also lives in Sea Cliff, a short distance away from where Robert Gaston Herbert lived.

Suozzi Opens and Dedicates Newly

Restored Courthouse