The Old Indiana County Courthouse is a former

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

located in

Indiana Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...

Indiana County Indiana County is a county in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It is located in the west central part of Pennsylvania. As of the 2020 census, the population was 83,246. Its county seat is Indiana. Indiana County comprises the Indiana, PA Mi ...

Pennsylvania Pennsylvania (; ( Pennsylvania Dutch: )), officially the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, is a state spanning the Mid-Atlantic, Northeastern, Appalachian, and Great Lakes regions of the United States. It borders Delaware to its southeast, ...

. The courthouse was built between 1869 and 1870 and designed by local architect James W. Drum. It was the second courthouse to serve the county, with the first demolished in 1868. The final cost of the project was $150,000.Busovicki, pg. 19 A dedication ceremony took place on December 19, 1870. Former

Governor of Pennsylvania A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

William F. Johnston spoke at the ceremony. The architecture, done in the Second Empire Italianate style, is primarily red brick and stone. The roof was designed in the Mansard style. The courthouse features a

gold leaf Gold leaf is gold that has been hammered into thin sheets (usually around 0.1 µm thick) by goldbeating and is often used for gilding. Gold leaf is available in a wide variety of karats and shades. The most commonly used gold is 22-kara ...

cupola In architecture, a cupola () is a relatively small, most often dome-like, tall structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome. The word derives, via Italian, from ...

clocktower with four faces. The main courtroom, located on the second floor measured by , with a ceiling. The large clock in the cupola was the largest in the county at the time. It was manufactured by Howard Clock Company of

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

and

Springfield, Ohio Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County, Ohio, Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River (Ohio), Mad River, Buck Creek, and Beaver Creek, approxim ...

. The four faces were each in diameter. The clock required winding once a week, a 15-minute process. Today the clock runs on a new digital style, that turns the hands on the faces of the clock. A jail and sheriff's residence was constructed next door in 1879, with a bridge that connected it to the courthouse to transport prisoners. At least six individuals were hanged in the court's jailyard, between 1882 and 1913. OldCourthouseCelebration

On September 24, 1945, a picture of Indiana-native Jimmy Stewart in front of the courthouse was featured on the cover of ''Life'' magazine.

John F. Kennedy John Fitzgerald Kennedy (May 29, 1917 – November 22, 1963), often referred to by his initials JFK and the nickname Jack, was an American politician who served as the 35th president of the United States from 1961 until his assassination i ...

gave a speech outside the courthouse on October 15, 1960 while campaigning during the presidential election. In the rafters above the court room, there is a painted "JFK". As to whether this was from JFK himself is unknown. The courthouse held its final session on November 11, 1970. After being replaced by the newer building, the now "old" Courthouse fell into disuse and was scheduled for demolition. The county commissioners offered a restoration-lease agreement to interested parties. On January 3, 1972, the commissioners approved an agreement with the National Bank of the Commonwealth, who planned to renovate the building for administrative use. NBOC was required to spend $100,000 in restoration over the initial three-year lease period in order to be eligible for a 47-year extension. The bank agreed to pay $12,000 total in taxes and rent for use of the courthouse, including the jail next door when it was vacated. Today, the entire bell tower is supported by scaffolding set up in the main court room of the building, due to the age of the building's supports. This area is not seen by visitors very often. The courthouse was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on October 29, 1974. Currently the building serves as administrative offices for First Commonwealth Financial. The courthouse is featured in the

Miniature Railroad & Village The Miniature Railroad & Village (MRRV) is a large and detailed model train layouts diorama of western Pennsylvania from 1880 to 1930. It is a long-running display currently located in the Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ...

at the Kamin Science Center in

Pittsburgh Pittsburgh ( ) is a city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Allegheny County. It is the most populous city in both Allegheny County and Wester ...

References

*Busovicki, John F.
Indiana County
'. Arcadia Publishing, 2003. {{Indiana, Pennsylvania County courthouses in Pennsylvania Indiana, Pennsylvania Buildings and structures in Indiana County, Pennsylvania Government buildings completed in 1870 Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania National Register of Historic Places in Indiana County, Pennsylvania Clock towers in Pennsylvania Second Empire architecture in Pennsylvania Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Pennsylvania

See also

References