Monongalia County Courthouse facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Monongalia County Courthouse
U.S. Historic district Contributing property
Monongalia County Courthouse, October 2008
Location	243 High St., Morgantown, West Virginia
Area	0.5 acres (0.20 ha)
Built	1881, 1891
Architect	James P. Bailey
Architectural style	Italianate, Romanesque
Added to NRHP	July 8, 1985

The Monongalia County Courthouse is a famous historic courthouse in downtown Morgantown, inside Monongalia County, West Virginia. A courthouse is a special building where local government leaders work and judges hold legal trials. The site has had courthouses since 1784, before the city was even officially founded. The beautiful building people visit today was completed in 1891 using Romanesque style details.

Because of its deep history and eye-catching architecture, experts added the courthouse to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985. It stands within the popular Downtown Morgantown Historic District, which joined the list in 1996. It serves as an active hub for local government, welcoming community members and curious visitors every single week.

Incredible Architecture and Special Design Features

Architect James P. Bailey from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania designed this impressive structure to look strong and dependable. Builders used tough red brick and carved stone to construct a main building that rises two full stories above a raised basement. The design follows Romanesque ideas, featuring heavy masonry walls, rounded stone arches, and tall corner towers.

Attached to the rear of the courthouse stands a historic two-story jailhouse created in the decorative Italianate style. Workers completed this brick jail section earlier in 1881. It connects directly to the courthouse so officials could easily walk between the two work spaces.

The Famous Five-Story Clock Tower

The most noticeable feature of the courthouse is its grand five-story clock tower. The central tower rises high above the street so people across town can check the time. It features a pointed pyramid roof with decorative corner supports known as buttresses.

Special stone molds border the tower windows and four giant clock faces, making the dial faces stand out clearly. Near the top, open arches form a classic belfry where bells ring across the city. The stonework includes a decorative four-leaf clover shape called a quatrefoil, which proudly displays the construction date of the building.

Wings and Modern Additions

On the south side of the courthouse stands another handsome tower rising three stories tall. The base of the main building measures 99 feet across its longest sides and about 76 to 83 feet along its other walls. Inside, the first floor boasts ceilings 15 feet high, while the spacious second floor reaches 22 feet into the air.

Over the years, the county government needed more office space for records and daily business. Workers added a new northern section to the facade in 1925. Another large expansion was completed in 1975 to give the public better access to modern services.

The Long History of Monongalia County Courthouses

The current courthouse is actually the fourth courthouse constructed on this exact spot on High Street. Long ago, American settlers needed a central place to meet, vote, and solve community legal disputes. Each time the town grew, the community built a larger, sturdier courthouse to meet their growing needs.

The Very First Frontier Courthouses

Local workers constructed the first county courthouse out of wooden logs and timber framing in 1784. That humble frontier building cost just $250 to build. Unfortunately, an accidental fire swept through and destroyed the wooden structure a few years later.

In 1796, workers constructed a second wooden building on the property to replace the lost structure. As Morgantown continued to grow rapidly, the county replaced that building with a more durable two-story brick hall in 1802.

Expanding in the Nineteenth Century

By 1848, the community required an even larger workspace. Builders put up a new two-story brick courthouse at a cost of $6,500. In 1851, the county placed a hand-carved wooden statue honoring patriot Patrick Henry on top of the courthouse roof. Patrick Henry served as the governor of Virginia back when Monongalia County was created in 1776. Today, this historic wooden statue rests safely inside a sheltered turret of the modern building.

By 1884, officials noticed the old building was showing major wear, and inspectors declared the aging brick walls unsafe. County leaders decided it was finally time to erect a brand-new, modern stone landmark.

Constructing the Modern 1891 Landmark

Planning the new building caused big arguments because many local citizens worried about the expensive construction price tag. Voters turned down funding proposals twice before leaders moved forward. Late on the night of September 13, 1890, workers quietly moved all public records out so demolition could begin safely.

On West Virginia Day, June 20, 1891, community members laid the official cornerstone during a joyful public ceremony. A construction contractor named George W. L. Mayers oversaw the construction, finishing the new stone and brick hall for $53,478 later that year. In 1976, leaders completed a $1.5 million restoration to keep the historic building clean and strong for future generations.

Community Life in the Courthouse Square

In the nineteenth century, the grassy public square served as a gathering spot for town announcements, legal notices, and official civic assemblies. Today, the bustling courtyard offers a peaceful open-air space where people enjoy sunny afternoons right in the center of town.

Community organizations hold street fairs, lively farmers markets, parades, and holiday ceremonies on the surrounding brick walkways. School groups frequently take field trips inside to explore the historic courtroom, learn about county government, and see the famous architecture up close.