Merrimack County Courthouse
Building history
The site where the courthouse stands has been used for civic purposes since 1790, when Concord, then a town, built a townhouse on the site. That building was enlarged in 1823 when Merrimack County was created, with Concord as its shire town. That building served both town and county functions until 1855. The present building was built in response to the need for more space by both governments, and was completed in 1857 to a design by New Hampshire native Joshua L. Foster. That design had more Classical Revival features than the building has now, with a mainly granite exterior, a 33-foot (10 m) dome on top and an arcaded front porch across the facade.
The building served both city and county in that form until 1904, when the city sold its interest in the building to the county, and built a new city hall. The county then decided to renovate rather than replace the building, work which was completed in 1907. Significant alterations included the removal of the dome and arcade, construction of the Renaissance entry pavilion, and refacing the exterior in brick. A modern wing was added to the front (east side) of the building in the 20th century.
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Merrimack County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2014-03-07.
- ^ Andrews, Caitlin (July 8, 2018). "Downtown: Merrimack County Superior Court renovation nears completion". Retrieved March 7, 2019.