The secret past of the Cedar Rapids federal courthouse

The city of Cedar Rapids is set to inherit the old Federal Courthouse in downtown sometime in the future. Along with the building comes a dark piece of history.

Because of the flood, we are finally able to see the controversy. Federal Court rules prohibit cameras in the building. But, because the building flooded, the Federal Court system moved out of the building that it had been in since 1933.

But, when the building was built, its main use was as a Post Office. Although the building had some court uses as well, it's just the court system was much smaller at that time, according to Cedar Rapids Historian Mark Hunter.

"The Federal Government had an art program where they would do murals in post office buildings, including this building,” said Hunter.

The artwork was part of the Works Progress Administration, which was part of President Roosevelt's New Deal. Within that measure was the Treasury Relief Art Project. The intent was to give local artists work in the down economy. Hunter said that same program also made art for federal buildings, and since this was both a Post Office and a courthouse, it got a lot of art.

According to When Tillage Begins: The Stone City Art Colony and School, Published by the Busse Library at Mount Mercy College, the mural was titled "Law and Culture." The study from Mount Mercy College goes on to say, “The mural's vivid scenes of chaos and order on the open plains caused numerous complaints. The installation was later destroyed under court orders.” Everett Jeffery was one of the main painters.

Among the artwork was the depiction of a lynching, located in the main courtroom. You can't see the murals anymore, Judge McManus had it painted over in the 1960's. However the paint used is designed to come off the wall and not damage the murals underneath. And since the flood, workers have removed a small section of the paint to reveal the artwork.

"They were trying to tell a historic story, but even at that time there was a sense of offense going on because of what people were comfortable with in the 1930's,” said Hunter.

Workers at the courthouse say the judge had it painted because the jury would sit on one side of the courtroom, and right across the courtroom was a painting of a lynching.

Soon the city of Cedar Rapids will inherit the building. The city bought the land where the new courthouse is being built and traded that land for the old courthouse building.

The city will soon own the building, but the artwork might not go away. Because of its historical value, the courtroom itself cannot be removed; however the rest of the building is up for grabs.

Hunter said it's interesting to note that when the old Federal Courthouse was built, Cedar Rapids had just suffered a major flood within the last few years, and the economy had fallen with the Great Depression.

Just this year the Federal Government broke ground on a new Federal Courthouse in Cedar Rapids. Its completion date is scheduled for 2012, according the U.S. General Services Administration. And it goes without saying about the flood and the economic connections.

Justin Foss, KCRG-TV