Downtown Harrisburg in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Old Dauphin County Courthouses
Two Dauphin County Courthouses occupied this site at the intersection of Market St. and what was originally known as Raspberry Street, later appropriately renamed Court Street. John Harris, Jr.'s original plan for Harrisburg set aside this land for use by the County, which was created from a portion of Lancaster County in 1785 and named for the Crown Prince of France to recognize French support in the American Revolution. As the new county seat, Harrisburg was actually named Louisburg for several years in honor of the French King, Louis XVI, but gained the name of the Borough of Harrisburg by an Act of the State Legislature in 1791. The first Courthouse, built 1792-99 when the town was a pioneer and trade center, also served as a meeting place for the State Legislature from 1812 when Harrisburg was designated the Capital of Pennsylvania, to 1821 when the first Capitol Building was opened. That Courthouse was demolished to make way for the second Courthouse in 1860, the year Harrisburg was incorporated as a city. The second Courthouse served the County until the present Courthouse, at nearby Front and Market Streets was completed in 1943. Two of the columns from the broad portico of the second Courthouse now stand at the entrance to Harrisburg's Reservoir Park at N. 18th and Walnut Streets.
[Captions:]
First
this page online
Second Dauphin County Courthouse. Erected 1850. Vacated 1943. Demolished 1948.
Erected by The Harrisburg History Project Commissioned by Mayor Stephen R. Reed.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Government & Politics • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the Pennsylvania, The Harrisburg History Project series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1785.
Location. 40° 15.611′ N, 76° 52.875′ W. Marker is in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in Dauphin County. It is in Downtown Harrisburg. It is at the intersection of Market Street and South Court Street, on the right when traveling east on Market Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 11 N 3rd St, Harrisburg PA 17101, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in South-Central Pennsylvania, specifically in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, and in the Susquehanna Valley. It is also in the American Northeast and in the Mid-Atlantic. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts (here, next to this marker); Dauphin Deposit Bank Building (a few steps from this marker); Market Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Strawberry Square Phase II (within shouting distance of this marker); a different marker also named Market Square (within shouting distance of this marker); Capital Of The Keystone State Preserved!
Photographed by William Pfingsten, March 21, 2008
2. Old Dauphin County Courthouses Marker
This is a photo of a prior iteration of the marker with an identical inscription.
Photographed by John K. Robinson, February 3, 2008
4. Old Dauphin County Courthouse Columns
Two columns from the 1860 Courthouse were saved and installed at the entrance of Reservoir Park in the city's Allison Hill district. This collage shows an old photo of the courthouse and one of the columns today. The handsome carving on the oediment of the building is now in the Brandywine River Museum in Chadds Ford, Pa.
Photographed by William Pfingsten, March 21, 2008
5. Location of the Old Courthouses
Photographed by John K. Robinson, June 3, 2014
6. Old Dauphin County Courthouse Bell
The bell from the 1860 Court House is now preserved on the grounds of the Historical Society of Dauphin County's John Harris-Simon Cameron Mansion.
Photographed by John K. Robinson, June 3, 2014
7. Bell of Old Dauphin County Courthouse
The date of construction of the Court House is cast into the bell.
Photographed by John K. Robinson, June 3, 2014
8. Plaque about Bell from Old Dauphin County Courthouse
Credits. This page was last revised on August 5, 2024. It was originally submitted on March 26, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. This page has been viewed 2,264 times since then and 18 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on August 5, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 2. submitted on March 26, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 3. submitted on August 5, 2024, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. 4. submitted on April 8, 2010, by John K. Robinson of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. 5. submitted on March 26, 2008, by Bill Pfingsten of Bel Air, Maryland. 6, 7, 8. submitted on August 12, 2014, by John K. Robinson of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
