Before Marshall, the Supreme Court was the weak sister in the federal trinity. It heard only about six cases a year, and none of them were of great importance. Being a justice was no fun; they had to ride horseback around the country, officiating as appeals judges in taverns. The planners in Washington forgot to build a federal courthouse, and Congress grudgingly allowed the Supreme Court , the U.S. Court of Appeals and the District Court to share a cramped committee room on the ground floor of the Capitol. Its physical location testified to the lowly stature of the nation's highest court.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 29, 2018 11:15 UTC