|
The
Somerset County Courthouse
The
original Somerset County Courthouse, located at Six Mile Run
(Franklin Park), was built in 1717 and destroyed by fire in
1737. A second Courthouse, built in Millstone,
was burned down by a mounted troop of the Queen's Rangers
in 1779.
In
1782, a new Courthouse, located in Somerville, was built on
land that was donated by Capt. Cornelius Tunison, near his
tavern (currently the Somerset Hotel). The original frame
of the Courthouse built on this site was shared with the Dutch
Reformed Church. In 1788, the Church erected its own structure
and the existing building was used as the Courthouse only.
In 1799, a new brick Courthouse was built and stood for more
than 100 years.
In 1905
this Courthouse was torn down and the present building was
opened in 1909. The designer of the building, James Reily
Gordon, designed the new Courthouse in the Italian classic
style. The building contains 46 rooms all reached from the
rotunda, which is dominated by a stained glass skylight. Built
of Alabama white marble, it resembles a state capitol.
Perhaps the most
famous trial held in the Courthouse was the Hall Mills murder
trial which took place in 1926. Legend has it that the well
known photo depicting the "Pig Woman," testifying from her
sickbed, was taken by an enterprising newspaper photographer
who broke one of the panes of glass in the skylight and photographed
this scene from the roof of the building. The Courthouse was
renovated in the early 1900s. The broken pane of glass has
been "preserved" by a clear glass pane. The courtroom within
is now used for various ceremonies.
The County
Administration building was built on the corner of High and
North Bridge Street in 1951. In 1972, the First Reformed Church
was purchased by the County for it to be used as the Juror's
assembly room. In 1986, to accommodate the rapidly growing
needs of the County, a new Courthouse was built facing North
Bridge Street. In 1992 a new jail and County Administration
building were dedicated to complete the complex.
|
