News
National Book Showcases Pennsylvania Courtrooms
News Article
August 22, 2013
Pennsylvania Supreme Court courtrooms in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Harrisburg are featured in a new book about state courthouses across the nation.
State Supreme Courts is a pictorial essay that takes a glimpse into the past and showcases the varying types of architectures used in the buildings of the highest courts in each state. The 212-page book is a collaborative effort of the National Center for State Courts and the Conference of Chief Justices that first was envisioned in 2008. It went on sale at the end of July.
Pennsylvania’s courtrooms are both historically and architecturally significant. The first courtroom was in Independence Hall, where the justices sat from 1743 to 1790. The justices moved to Old City Hall to make room for the U.S. Supreme Court when Philadelphia became the nation’s capital.
At one time or another, the Supreme Court held session in three historic Philadelphia structures that were scenes to the creation of the United States and the formulation of the early laws of the nation. In 1901 the court moved into Philadelphia City Hall where it still sits.
The courtroom in Pittsburgh first opened in 1918 on the upper floor of a building that was constructed to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Allegheny County. The Harrisburg courtroom sits in the middle of the Main Capital Building, which former President Theodore Roosevelt described as one of the finest buildings he had ever seen.
Also featured prominently in the book is the Pennsylvania Judicial Center, which serves as the administrative headquarters for the state court system.
To obtain a copy of the book for purchase, go to: