Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, Building Specification and Construction Documents, 1883-1976
- Repository
- ULS Archives & Special Collections
- Title
- Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, Building Specification and Construction Documents
- Creator
- Myers, Elijah E.
- Creator
- Richardson, H. H. (Henry Hobson)
- Creator
- Ord, John
- Collection Number
- AIS.2016.06
- Extent
- 0.21 Linear Feet
- Date
- 1883-1976
- Abstract
- Collection includes photocopies of specifications, design descriptions, and inventories of architectural drawings for the proposed Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, submitted to the Allegheny County Commissioners in 1883 by the following architects: Henry Hobson Richardson of Boston, Elijah E. Myers of Detroit, and John Ord of Philadelphia. Also included are photocopies of the legal proceedings of an injunction ordering the Allegheny County Commissioners not to enter into a contract for the construction of the new county buildings.
- Language
- English .
- Publisher
- ULS Archives & Special Collections
- Address
- University of Pittsburgh Library System
Archives & Special Collections
Website: library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Contact Us: www.library.pitt.edu/ask-archivist
URL: http://library.pitt.edu/archives-special-collections
Access Restrictions
No restrictions.
Acquisition Information
Gift of Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation on December 12, 2016.
History
The Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail Complex, located at 436 Grant Street in Downtown Pittsburgh, is widely recognized as an outstanding example of Romanesque Revival architecture in the United States and is included by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) on its list of "America's Favorite Architecture." The Courthouse and Jail complex was designed by Henry Hobson Richardson of Boston in 1883 and constructed from 1884 through 1888. On May 7, 1882, the second Allegheny County Courthouse was destroyed by fire. Following the fire, the County Commissioners, along with Charles Davis, County Engineer, began making plans for the construction of a new building. In 1883, the Commissioners invited 100 architects to participate in a competition to design a new courthouse to replace the one destroyed by fire on the same site the previous year. The finalists, William W. Boyington (1818-1898), Elijah E. Meyers (1832-1909), John Ord (1871-1910), and Henry Hobson Richardson (1838-1886), were offered $2,500 each to prepare studies. Boyington was one of Chicago's first architects. Meyers, based in Detroit, was a successful designer of several state capitals, courthouses, and churches in the mid-West. Ord, who lived in Philadelphia, was part of the architecture team responsible for Philadelphia City Hall. However, it was Richardson's design that was selected by the commissioners in 1884.
Construction of the Jail began first. Although Richardson witnessed the completion of the jail, he died April 27, 1886, two years before the courthouse was completed. He chose three men who worked in his office to continue his practice: George Foster Shepley (1858-1903), Charles Hercules Rutan (1851-1914), and Charles Allerton Coolidge (1858-1936). They changed the name of the firm to Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge, and completed the Pittsburgh project. Another person who played an important role in the project was Orlando Whitney Norcross (1839-1920), the leading partner in Norcross Brothers, general contractors located in Massachusetts. Richardson relied on Norcross for his knowledge of materials and construction techniques. Allegheny County awarded the construction contract to Norcross Brothers on September 1, 1884, and they completed the project according to Richardson's plans. The courthouse was dedicated on September 24, 1888.
In the late 20th century, as interest in historic preservation was on the rise, the Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail complex increasingly became the subject of research by architectural and local historians. Through the years, the competition and related drawings have been exhibited and several books and tour pamphlets have been written about the buildings.
Copyright
The University of Pittsburgh holds the property rights to the material in this collection, but the copyright may still be held by the original creator/author. Researchers are therefore advised to follow the regulations set forth in the U.S. Copyright Code when publishing, quoting, or reproducing material from this collection without the consent of the creator/author or that go beyond what is allowed by fair use.
Custodial History
The photocopies contained in this collection were made by Mr. James D. Van Trump and Mr. Charles C. Arensburg of the Pittsburgh History and Landmarks Foundation. Mr. Van Trump was the author of Majesty of the Law The Court Houses of Allegheny County, 1988 and numerous other books and articles on the architecture in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County.
Existence and Location of Originals
The location of orginal building specification documents by Richardson and Myers are unknown. An original volume of Ord's Description of Designs is available at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Main Branch).
Scope and Content Notes
Collection includes thirteen folders of photocopies of printed specifications, design descriptions, and inventories of architectural drawings for the proposed Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, submitted to the Allegheny County Commissioners in 1883 by the following architects: Henry Hobson Richardson of Boston, Elijah E. Myers of Detroit, and John Ord of Philadelphia. The inventories and list of prints document materials that were part of an exhibit planning process in 1976. The exhibit focused on the work of H. H. Richardson, but also included some of his competitors. Also included are photocopies of the legal proceedings of an injunction ordering the Allegheny County Commissioners not to enter into a contract for the construction of the new county buildings.
Related Material
H.H. Richardson's Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail. Available at the Archives Service Center--call #:NA4473.P6 H2
Majesty of the law : the court houses of Allegheny County by James D. Van Trump. Available at the Archives Service Center--call #: NA4473 P5V35 1988
Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail walking tour by Albert M. Tannler. Available at the Archives Service Center--call #:NA4473.P5 T366 2007
Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail Architectural Records, 1883-1948, AIS.1980.20, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Official Report of the Dedicatory Exercises Held at the New Court House at the City of Pittsburgh, County of Allegheny, on Monday, September 24, A.D. 1888. Pittsburgh: Wm. G. Johnston & Co., 1889. Available online: https://digital.library.pitt.edu/islandora/object/pitt%3A31735038308866
Previous Citation
Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, Building Specification and Construction Documents, 1883-1976, AIS.2016.06, Archives Service Center, University of Pittsburgh
Preferred Citation
Allegheny County Courthouse and Jail, Building Specification and Construction Documents, 1883-1976, AIS.2016.06, Archives & Special Collections, University of Pittsburgh Library System
Subjects
- Myers, Elijah E.
- Richardson, H. H. (Henry Hobson)
- Ord, John
- Architecture
- Government
- Prisons -- Pennsylvania
- Prisons -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Jails -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Courthouses -- Pennsylvania
- County government -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Architecture -- Pennsylvania -- Allegheny County
- Architecture -- Pennsylvania
- Architecture -- Competitions