Hillsborough County is named for Wills Hill, who was the 1st Marquess of Downshire and known as the Earl of Hillsborough and who served as the first Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Merrimack County
S – Essex County, Massachusetts, Middlesex County, Massachusetts and Worcester County, Massachusetts
W – Cheshire County and Sullivan County
Created: 1769
County Seat:
Amherst 1770 – 1869
Manchester 1869 – present
Nashua 1869 – present
County Courthouse – Manchester
Location: 300 Chestnut Street / Central Street
Built: 1966 – 1968
Style: Modern
Architect: Soule Associates Architects of Manchester
Contractor: Davison Construction Company, Inc. of Manchester
Description: The building faces east and is a two story concrete and glass structure. The build ing is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the city center. The east front has an projecting roof with glass walls along the center section. The windows are vertical with panels between. The roof line is flat. The building was enlarged and remodeled in 2010 to 2011. The architect was Lavalle Bresinger of Manchester and the contractor was TLT Construction Company of Wakefield, Massachusetts.
Old County Courthouse – Manchester
Location: 1904 – 1905
Built: 1966 – 1968
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: William M Butterfield
Contractor: J H Mendell.
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located in the city center. The center section projects slightly from the main building and has a stone framed entrance on the first story. The second story has arched windows with a wide pediment at the roof line. The roof line is flat. In 1971 the City of Manchester renovated the building as the City Hall Annex and its now known as the City Hall West Wing.
County Courthouse – Nashua
Location: 30 Spring Street / Pearl Street
Built: 1990 – 1992
Style: Modern
Architect: Lavalle / Bresinger Professional Association
Contractor: Eckman Construction
Description: The building faces west and is a three story gray colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the city center and is “L” shaped with the north wing extending west and the east wing set back with the first story entrance at the north end. The first story has glass panels. The roof line is flat.
Old County Courthouse – Nashua
Location: 19 Temple Street / Spring Street
Built: 1901 – 1903
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Dana and Woodbury
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the city center. The north front has a projecting center section with framed entrance on the first story with large window on the second floor and pediment containing an eagle above. The first story windows are framed with curved lintel. The foundation is course stone. A wide cornice runs below the flat roof line. On the south side is an addition constructed in 1946.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Hillsborough County Courthouse – Nashua
Old District Courthouse – Nashua
Location: 3
Built: Unknown
Style: Modern
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces west.
History: The county was created in 1769 and Amherst was selected as the county seat. Court sessions were held in the Public Meeting House and a jail was built. The first courthouse was built in 1778 using the lumber from the old meeting house. The second courthouse was built in 1804 and is still standing, in 1824 to 1825 the third courthouse was built and is still standing. In 1869, Manchester and Nashua became the dual county seats.
Other Branch Courthouses
County Courthouse – Manchester
Old County Courthouse – Manchester
County Courthouse – Nashua
Old County Courthouse – Nashua
Old District Courthouse – Nashua
Photos taken 2014
Images 31