Erie, Pennsylvania

The first Erie County court house, a small brick building that stood in the West Park, a little north of the soldiers’ and sailors’ monument [was completed] in 1808. In the early hours of Sunday morning, March 23, 1823, the court house was destroyed by fire, taking with it all the county records up to that time. The west wing of the current Erie County Court House dates to 1855, originally of late Greek Revival design. In 1929 the structure was entirely rebuilt and enlarged by Walter T. Monahan, Erie architect, to its present “U” plan, the west wing retaining the wall structure of the early building. Faced with gray, cut cast stone, its two similar Corinthian porticos with their tall fluted columns are monumentally impressive.