The Court House - 1787 & Bedford Museum

615 Old Post Road
Built in the same year that the U. S. Constitution was drafted, the Court House is the oldest Westchester County Government building that is still standing and one of only three Court Houses in New York State built before 1800. It is Bedford’s historic landmark of the days from 1788 to 1870 when Bedford was a County Seat more populous than White Plains.

During the Revolutionary War, Bedford became the site of Court Sessions and Board of Supervisor’s meetings. Its central location in northern Westchester and on the inland Post Road made it the likely choice since White Plains was too far south in the Neutral Ground. For a brief time after the Village was burned in 1779, courts were moved to Upper Salem but returned to the rebuilt meetinghouse in Bedford in 1784.

After the war, the Legislative Act of 1786 conferred “half-shire” status on both Bedford and White Plains and ordered the building of two court houses. They allotted £400 for the Bedford court house which was built in 1787 and opened on January 28, 1788. On the first day of court the judges were Stephen Ward of Eastchester, Ebenezer Lockwood of Pound Ridge and Ebenezer Purdy of North Salem. The most interesting record from those first sessions was the frequent reference to a “Mr. Burr.” The records were referring to Aaron Burr, a young lawyer at the time but one who eventually went on to become state attorney general and Vice President under Thomas Jefferson. He is perhaps best remembered as the man who killed Alexander Hamilton in a duel. Among the many prominent civic leaders to preside in the Bedford Court House were William Jay, son of John Jay, and William H. Robertson, both County Court Justices. Judge Robertson’s books sit on the Judge’s dais to this day.

County and Town courts continued to be held in this court house until 1780 when the railroad had made travel much easier. White Plains had become a thriving city while Bedford, whose rail station had been placed four miles north of the Village, remained a quiet village. In 1878, the Board of Supervisor’s gave the building to the Town of Bedford which in collaboration with the Bedford Historical Society continues to preserve and maintain the building.

The Court House was restored once in 1889 when it was moved back 12 feet to allow for the widening of Route 22. At that time, many of the original features were removed in order to make the building suitable for use as a gathering place. Some oral histories speak of square dances and bridge games in the old court house.

Between 1965 and 1970, the Bedford Historical Society, the Town of Bedford and the State of New York restored the building and its Court Room was returned to its original dignity. The Bedford Museum, including the oldest jail cell in Westchester County, is housed on the second floor. The Town owns the building and the Historical Society maintains the interior and operates the museum which is open to the public from April to December. When the Court House Museum is open, hours can be found on our Home Page.