Burlington County Courthouse (New Jersey) facts for kids
The Burlington County Courthouse is an important building located in Mount Holly. This town is the county seat of Burlington County, New Jersey. A county seat is like the main town for a county, where the local government and important courts are found. Even today, this historic courthouse is still used for court cases and legal matters.
A Look at the Burlington County Courthouse
The Burlington County Courthouse is a very old and special building. It plays a key role in the local government. People come here for many different legal reasons. It's a place where justice is served for the community.
How Old Is This Building?
The courthouse was built a long time ago, in 1796. That makes it over 225 years old! A person named Michael Rush was in charge of building it. The architect, Samuel Lewis, designed the courthouse to look almost exactly like two famous buildings in Philadelphia: Congress Hall and Old City Hall. These buildings are right next to Independence Hall, where the Declaration of Independence was signed.
The courthouse also has a very special bell. This bell was moved from an even older courthouse. It rang loudly in 1776 to celebrate America's independence. Imagine hearing that sound so many years ago!
A Special Historic Building
Because of its age and importance, the Burlington County Courthouse is recognized as a historic site. It is part of the Mount Holly Historic District. This means it's one of many old buildings in the area that are protected.
The courthouse is also listed on two important registers:
These lists help protect important places across the country. The building has also been carefully studied and documented by the Historic American Buildings Survey. This survey records details about historic buildings.
