Armstrong County - American Courthouses

Armstrong County is named for John Armstrong, who was an American Revolutionary War general and a Continental Congressman.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Clarion County

E – Jefferson County and Indiana County

S – Westmoreland County

W – Butler County

Created: March 12, 1800

County Seat:

Kittanning 1800 – present

County Courthouse – Kittanning

Location: 402 East Market Street / South Grant Avenue

Built: 1858 – 1860

Style: Neo-Classical

Architect: Hulings and Dickey

Contractor: Hulings and Dickey

Description: The building faces west and is a three story dark stone, brick and iron structure situate. The building is located in the center of Kittanning on a rise up a hill. The building has a large portico supported by four Corinthian columns rising from the second to third story with the pediment at the roof line. There are three large stone arches at the entrance on the first story. The front has flat pilasters between long many-paned windows topped by circular windows. A high white colored cupola rises over the entrance. The roof is hipped. In the interior, the first story has a cross hall with English variegated tile. On the second story is the 62 feet by 58 feet County Court of Common Pleas courtroom with a frescoed ceiling which is 23 feet high. The building houses the County Court of Common Pleas of the 33rd Judicial District. An addition was built in 1871 and the jail was added on the north side in 1870 to 1873 at a cost of $252,000 and connected to the courthouse. The contractor was Harrison Brothers. The jail is now the records center. The building was restored in 1951 to 1953 and a three story addition constructed on the east side. The architects was Charles J Marr of New Philadelphia, Ohio with Tillman Scheeren Jr. and Walter Rittenhouse of Kittanning.

See: National Register of Historical Places – Armstrong County Courthouse and Jail

History: The county was created in 1800 and Kittanning was selected as the county seat. The first courts were held in Meadville in Crawford County. The first courthouse was built in 1805 at Market Street and Jefferson Street. The second courthouse was built in 1852 to 1853 and was destroyed by fire on March 10, 1858. The cost of construction of the present courthouse was $32,000.

County Administration Building – Kittanning

Location: 402 East Market Street / South Grant Avenue

Built: 1900 – 1992

Style: Modern

Architect: Unknown

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces north and is a three story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on a rise of a hill in the center of Kittanning to the southwest of the courthouse. The north front has a projecting center section with three rectangular openings on the first story and three large windows on the second story. The roof is hipped. The building is connected to the courthouse on the northeast side.