Luzerne County Courthouse (Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania)

 courthouse, NRHP - National Register of Historic Places, interesting place, historical building

Historic courthouse designed c. 1906 in the Classical Revival style by Frank J. Osterling. The early courthouses were built in the town square, first a simple log house, followed in 1801 by a colonial style structure. This building was replaced in 1856 with a new one, itself demolished fifty years later. When it came time for a new courthouse around the turn of the century, the town square site was thought too small, and the present building was put up in 1903-06 here next to the Susquehanna River.

This is one of the most architecturally impressive courthouses in the state, a large Beaux Arts structure shaped like a cross with identical six column porticos on three facades. The south facade facing the garden is the main entrance. There is extensive decorative iconography, described in part by Williams.

This building is right up there near the top of the list in architectural quality among Pennsylvania county courthouses. Lackawanna County was formed by cutting off a chunk of Luzerne, and the munificence of this building was likely a reaction to the courthouse up the valley in Scranton.

The courthouse underwent a restoration in 2017 by John Canning & Co. which brought the atrium back to its original glory.

www.traditionalbuilding.com/palladio-awards/john-cannin...
www.mapsofpa.com/countyseatsd.htm
www.luzernecounty.org/county/courthouse_tour_online

phone: 570-825-1500