Hampshire County Courthouse - Northampton, MA
Posted by: 
NorStar
N 42° 19.172 W 072° 37.824
18T E 695265 N 4687973
This building, known as the Old County Courthouse, is still used for Superior Court sessions, but it is also the Hampshire Council of Governments Headquarters.
Waymark Code: WMC3TN
Location: Massachusetts, United States
Date Posted: 07/21/2011
Views: 8
In Northampton's downtown section, there is a beautiful stone building bounded by Main Street, Gothic Street and King Street. This building, still used for Superior Court sessions, is mainly the headquarters for the Hampshire Council of Governments.
According to the web site, the courthouse cornerstone was laid on August 26, 1886, and dedicated on December 10, 1887. This is the fourth courthouse on the site, and when opened, it continued to hold court sessions.
A 1957 report recommended that this building be torn down. In the 1970s, planning and development practices at the time recommended that the entire block be torn down and a mall be built instead. Due to a group of people interested in preserving the downtown area, the courthouse and buildings were saved and have since been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Today, the courthouse is still currently used for court sessions. The courthouse address is on 15 Gothic Street, which is different from the Hampshire Council of Governments, which is the main occupant. but it is still the same building.
In addition to the council of governments, there is an art gallery on the site.
The web site also states that if you are interested in seeing the inside of the building, you can arrange for a tour ahead of time.
Year Built: 1887
Current Use of Building: Court Sessions, Hampshire Council of Governments
Level of Courts: County
Architect: Henry F. Kilbourn, New York.
Dates this building was used to house judicial proceedings: 1887-present
Physical Address:
99 Main Street
Northampton, MA 01060
Hours:
Regular business hours.
Related Website: [Web Link]
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Visit Instructions:
At least one original photograph should be added to the gallery. And please describe your impressions and visit to the courthouse.