The United States District Court for the District of Pennsylvania was one of the original 13 courts established by the Judiciary Act of 1789, on September 24, 1789. It was subdivided on April 20, 1818, by 3 Stat. 462, into the Eastern and Western Districts to be headquartered in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, respectively. Portions of these districts were subsequently subdivided into the Middle District on March 2, 1901, by 31 Stat. 880. At the time of its initial subdivision, presiding judge Richard Peters Jr. was reassigned to only the Eastern District. The first courthouse for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania was Independence Hall in Philadelphia.