The building design follows
neoclassical architecture. The Family Court Building and the adjacent
Parkway Central Library are replicas of the
Hôtel de Crillon and the
Hôtel de la Marine located on
Paris's
Place de la Concorde. Both buildings closely follow their French counterpart's placement on
Logan Circle. The building was designed by
John T. Windrim and constructed by his chief designer
W. R. Morton Keast. Construction began on September 17, 1938, and the cornerstone was laid on June 20, 1939. The building opened on 1801
Vine Street. According to National Park Service, the building was completed in 1941; however, William Richard Morton Keast states the building was completed and occupied by November 25, 1940. In 1971, Family Court Building was accepted into the
Philadelphia Register of Historic Places. On March 31, 2014, the Family Court Building was accepted into the
National Register of Historic Places. The building housed the
Philadelphia Family Court from 1941 to 2014. Three stories and the ground level were opened to the public. The building was used as a juvenile court as well as a court for domestic issues. The building is known for its
murals and has been described by Ben Leech, director of advocacy at the Preservation Alliance for Greater Philadelphia, as "a virtual museum of
New Deal art". Plans had been made by the city to move the Philadelphia Family Court closer to
Market Street. In 2014, the
Peebles Corporation made a bid to turn the courthouse into a museum and boutique hotel. The Philadelphia Family Court moved to a new location at 1501 Arch Street, leaving the Family Court Building unoccupied. In November, 2020, The Peebles Corporation's contract to purchase 1801 Vine Street was cancelled by the City of Philadelphia. The City cited the impacts of the
COVID-19 pandemic on the hospitality industry as the main reason for cancelling Peebles's development bid. Peebles Corporation CEO, Roy Donahue Peebles, said in a statement that the company was “surprised and disappointed by the action". At the time Peebles bid was cancelled, the project had taken over 7 years without any construction, financing, or tenants put in place. ==See also==