Courthouses of New Jersey

Beginning in May 2020, for 21 consecutive Saturdays, Alan and Alison Schorr visited and photographed each New Jersey County. They particularly focused on the courthouses, which are an integral part of each county’s history and governmental function. The project allowed
them to travel and photograph in a safe manner during the pandemic, as the courthouses were closed and there were few people around.

The diversity of architecture in these courthouses is stunning. Some of the oldest colonial courthouses in the United States still operate in Burlington, Middlesex and Salem. New Jersey features many historic 19th century courthouses in places like Hunterdon, Morris, Sussex, and
Warren. There is majestic turn of the 20th century classical courthouses, such as those in Bergen, Essex, and Somerset. New Jersey also has art-deco and sleek modern marble courthouses from the mid-20th century, such as those in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Union, and ultra-modern courthouses such as the Hughes Justice Complex and the Union family court.

This photographic series explores the incredible diversity and history of New Jersey’s courthouses by presenting these centers of justice in a creative and artistic way. Using interesting angles and wide and telephoto lenses, these important courthouses are presented in a manner designed to educate and entertain. Despite the ravages of COVID-19, these courthouses have continued to administer justice.