Oswego County is named for the Oswego River which is named for the Iroquoian word meaning “the outpouring” referring to the mouth of the river.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Jefferson County
E – Lewis County and Oneida County
S – Madison County, Onondaga County and Cayuga County
W – Lake Ontario and Ontario, Canada
Created: March 1, 1816
County Seat:
Oswego 1816 – present
Pulaski 1816 ( half shire )
County Courthouse – Oswego
Location: 25 East Oneida Street / East 2nd Street
Built: 1859 – 1860
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Horatio Nelson White of Syracuse
Contractor: Smith & Ratigan and Williams & Atkinson
Description: The building faces north and is a two story limestone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Oswego. The north front has a projecting center section with three large arches on the first story and four green-blue colored columns on the second story with pediment above. At the top is a large open cupola with thin columns and round dome. The east and west wings have small cupolas above a pediment. An addition was on the south side in 1962. The architect was Sargent-Webster-Crenshaw and Folley and the contractor was J G A Construction Corporation.
County Administration Building – Oswego
Location: 25 East Bridge Street / East 2nd Street
Built: 1895 – 1896
Style: Georgian
Architect: J H Seeber
Contractor: A Von Wagner & Company
Description: The building faces south and is a three story red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Oswego to the west of the courthouse.
County Courthouse – Pulaski
Location: 7426 Bridge Street / South Jefferson Street
Built: 1817 – 1819 / Rebuilt 1859 – 1860
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: James Weed / Zina D Stevens
Contractor: James Weed / David Bennett
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red colored brick structure. The north front has a high portico supported by four large white colored columns with pediment at the roof line. The base of the building is course stone. The eaves overhang at the roof line. The courthouse was rebuilt in 1859 to 1860. In 1887 the building was expanded. An addition was added on the south side in 1992. The building is named as the H Douglas Barclay Courthouse.
See: The 5th Judicial District is located at 600 State Street in Syracuse and includes Herkimer County, Jefferson County, Lewis County, Oneida County and Onondaga County.
History: The county was created in 1816 and Oswego was selected as the county seat with Pulaski as a half shire seat. The first courthouse was built in Pulaski in 1819 at a cost of #1,500. The second courthouse was built in Oswego in 1822 at a cost of $750.. In 1851, the County Clerk’s Office was built at East Bridge and Second Streets in Oswego at a cost of $2,000. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1859 to 1860 at a cost of $30,000 and the Pulaski courthouse was rebuilt. In 1887 the courthouse in Pulaski was expanded. In 1895 , the second Clerk’s Office was built at a cost of $65,000.
County Courthouse – Oswego
County Administration Building – Oswego
County Courthouse – Pulaski
Photos taken 2010
Images 18