The Historic Suffolk County Courthouse — Riverhead, New York

The Historic Suffolk County Courthouse — Riverhead, New York

Architect: M. Vollney Liddell | Completed: 1929

Rising proudly in the heart of Riverhead, the Suffolk County Courthouse has stood as a symbol of justice and civic pride for nearly a century. The current building was commissioned after a devastating 1927 fire destroyed the original 1855 courthouse. The county turned to architect M. Vollney (Moses Volney) Liddell, who was living on Long Island at the time, to design a new home for Suffolk’s highest courts.

Liddell’s design reflected the ideals of the era — strength, order, and dignity. Drawing inspiration from Classical and Greek Revival architecture, he created a building that resembles a great stone temple, with its grand stairway, columned façade, and triangular pediment commanding the Riverhead skyline. Inside, the courthouse was built not only to serve the needs of the judiciary, but also to stand as a lasting expression of stability after the turmoil of the fire.

Construction began later in 1927 and continued through the late 1920s, with the courthouse formally dedicated in 1929. Over the decades, additional wings and annexes have been built to accommodate Suffolk County’s growing population and expanding court system, yet Liddell’s original structure remains the centerpiece — both functionally and symbolically — of the Riverhead justice complex.

Today, the courthouse is more than just a seat of law; it’s a piece of Suffolk County history. Its limestone façade, neoclassical details, and timeworn steps carry nearly a hundred years of stories from those who served, worked, and passed through its halls.

In my photograph, I wanted to honor that sense of endurance and place — to capture the courthouse not only as an architectural landmark, but as a quiet testament to those years of service and the ideals it represents. Seen in the afternoon light, the building stands much as it did in 1929: solid, dignified, and deeply woven into the fabric of Long Island’s history.

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