Lawrence County Courthouse (Pennsylvania) Explained

Lawrence County Courthouse
Designated Other1 Name:Pennsylvania state historical marker
Designated Other1 Abbr:PHMC
Designated Other1 Date:October 2, 1982
Designated Other1 Link:List of Pennsylvania state historical markers
Designated Other1 Color:navy
Designated Other1 Textcolor:
  1. ffc94b
Location:Court St., New Castle, Pennsylvania
Coordinates:40.9983°N -80.3394°W
Mapframe:yes
Mapframe-Marker:building
Mapframe-Zoom:12
Mapframe-Caption:Interactive map showing the location for Lawrence County Courthouse
Built:1850-1855
Architecture:Greek Revival
Added:December 15, 1978
Area:less than one acre
Refnum:78002419

The Lawrence County Courthouse is an historic, American courthouse building that is located in New Castle, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania.

It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

History and architectural features

The original building was built between 1850 and 1855, and is a two-story, six-bay by three-bay Greek Revival-style structure. It features a portico with six Ionic order columns and a cupola. Major additions to the original structure were built between 1885 and 1886, in 1914 (extended in 1939), and between 1943 and 1944. A small addition to connect the 1885-1886 and 1914-1939 additions was built in 1947.[1]

During the 1950s, the original cupola containing the clock tower was removed, after standing atop the courthouse roof since its construction and throughout the early twentieth century.

Twenty years later, additional changes were made. The Lawrence County Government Center was built in 1977 and attached to the courthouse on its northwest side.[2] The courthouse was then added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

The courthouse tower had a flat roof until 2002, when the county invested $225,000 to erect a new cupola with a clock tower, complete with a carillon of chimes.[3]

The bell from the original clock tower now rests in the plaza behind the courthouse near the main entrance to the adjacent Lawrence County Government Center, according to a plaque on the front of the courthouse. The new clock tower was dedicated to the people of Lawrence County on October 7, 2002. The Commissioners were Roger M. Decarbo, Brian D. Burick, and Edward F. Fosnaught, the Chief Clerk/Administrator was Charleen T. Micco, and the Building Superintendent was Frank Picari.

See also

Notes and References

  1. Web site: National Historic Landmarks & National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania. CRGIS: Cultural Resources Geographic Information System. Searchable database. Note: This includes Web site: [{{NRHP-PA|H000787_01H.pdf}} National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Form: Lawrence County Courthouse ]. 2012-05-05. Susan M. Zacher. PDF. n.d..
  2. Web site: Lawrence County - US Courthouses . 2023-06-16.
  3. Web site: Courthouse clock tower quieter these days - New Castle News . January 30, 2019 . 2023-06-16.