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Western Pennsylvania » Ridge and Valley » Centre County » Bellefonte » Centre County Courthouse

Centre County Courthouse

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1805, attributed to Ezra Ale; 1835; c. 1855, George W. Tate; 1909, Newman and Harris; 1963–1964, Dean Kennedy. High and Allegheny sts.
  • (Photograph by Matthew Aungst)
  • (William E. Fischer, Jr.)
  • (William E. Fischer, Jr.)
  • (William E. Fischer, Jr.)
  • (William E. Fischer, Jr.)

Now an imposing two-story templelike building, the courthouse began in 1805 as a modest limestone structure. The Ionic portico and pediment were added in 1835. Around 1855, the building of 1805 was replaced by a longer structure, although the portico was retained. The tall, domed cupola with classical detailing was added at this time. The rear of the building was further extended and the interior completely refurbished in 1909. On the interior, a central hall on the first floor is flanked by offices, and courtrooms are located on the second floor.

The colonnade in the courthouse square was designed in 1906 by Joseph M. Huston of Philadelphia, architect of the Pennsylvania State Capitol in Harrisburg. In the center of the colonnade is William Clark Noble's c. 1913 bronze statue of Andrew G. Curtin, Pennsylvania's governor during the Civil War and one of five commonwealth governors from Bellefonte.

Writing Credits

Author: 
Lu Donnelly et al.
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Data

What's Nearby

Courthouse Annex (W. F. Reynolds and Company)
Temple Court Building
Brockerhoff Hotel
Bellefonte Museum (General Philip Benner–Henry Linn House)
Plaza Centre (Plaza Theater)

Citation

Lu Donnelly et al., "Centre County Courthouse", [Bellefonte, Pennsylvania], SAH Archipedia, eds. Gabrielle Esperdy and Karen Kingsley, Charlottesville: UVaP, 2012—, http://sah-archipedia.org/buildings/PA-01-CE1.

Print Source

Cover: Buildings of PA vol 1

Buildings of Pennsylvania: Pittsburgh and Western Pennsylvania, Lu Donnelly, H. David Brumble IV, and Franklin Toker. Charlottesville: University of Virginia Press, 2010, 341-341.

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