Somerset County Courthouse

 courthouse, historical building

The Courthouse (1904). The first courthouse was built in 1798. A second building was built on the present hilltop site in 1853; this building can be seen on the panoramic map. It remained in use until 1904 when the present Beaux Arts structure went up. The dome is said to be based on St. Paul's Cathedral in London, and it dominates the town. There are two entrances, one through a large and decorative Corinthian portico on the west face, and the main entrance through a matching columnar semicircular porch on the south front at the top of the hill.

All of the sides project from the dome, so the building has a cruciform shape. Modern annexes sit in the next block down the hill, and fortunately are not connected. An extensive restoration, completed in 2003, left the exterior unchanged but rearranged the interior to add a third courtroom by moving ancillary courthouse functions to an annex. At an elevation of around 2200 feet above sea level, the green dome of this courthouse is the highest in the state.

www.mapsofpa.com/countyseatsf.htm
www.co.somerset.pa.us/


111 East Union Street, Somerset PA 15501;
phone: 814-445-1400.