1724 Chester Courthouse

July 2025 January 2025 Chester Courthouse 1724 Chester Courhouse.JPG 1724 Chester Courthouse, May 2010 Avenue of the States St. below 5th St.,Chester, Pennsylvania 39.8478 N 75.3599 W inline,title Pennsylvania#USA 1724 Brazer, Clarence May 27, 1971 less than one acre 710007022009a Pennsylvania state historical marker PHMC May 14, 1954PHMC Historical Markers Historical Marker Database Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission http://search.pahistoricalmarkers.com/ December 20, 2013 https://archive.today/20131207041235/http://search.pahistoricalmarkers.com/ December 7, 2013 dead List of Pennsylvania state historical markers navy #ffc94b The Chester Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Chester, Pennsylvania that served as the Chester County courthouse from 1724 to 1789, the Delaware County courthouse from 1789 to 1850 and the City Hall for the city of Chester. It was built in 1724 and is the oldest public building still standing in the United States.Saving Chester's 1724 Court House http://www.oldchesterpa.com/1724_Courthouse.htm www.oldchesterpa.com 21 September 2018 Description The German Colonial-style courthouse is 2½ stories high with no basement and 2-foot-thick walls. The south and east facades of the building are hewn stone, with the other two built of rubble stone. The Quaker influence on the building can be seen in the two front doors, one for men and the other for women.Williams Oliver P. County Courthouses of Pennsylvania: A Guide 2001 Stackpole Books Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania 0-8117-2738-6 88 https://books.google.com/books?id=mzwodaKxQmgC&q=1724+chester+courthouse 21 September 2018 The interior measures 31 by 36 ft. The first level has a stone-floored court room divided by a low wooden railing designed to separate the judges and lawyers from court observers. There are no fireplaces on the first floor, but both the jury room and petit jury room on the second floor have fireplaces. The second floor is accessed by a stairwell in the northwest corner of the building.none https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71995025 National Register of Historic Places Registration: Pennsylvania SP 1724 Chester Courthouse National Archives and Records Administration Pennsylvania Register of Historic Sites and Landmarks January 1971 December 17, 2025 () The cupola on the courthouse contained a bell that was cast in London and added in 1729. The bell was removed for many years but returned during a 1920 restoration. A three-sided bay with large multi-paneled windows was added in 1744. History thumb|left|Drawing from Smith's History of Delaware County 1862 thumb|Plaque on the front of 1724 Chester Courthouse The Chester courthouse was built in 1724 and was the fourth courthouse built in Chester.Martin John Hill Chester (and Its Vicinity,) Delaware County, in Pennsylvania 1877 Wm. H. Pile & Sons Philadelphia 21 https://books.google.com/books?id=5Kg-AAAAYAAJ&q=courthouse 20 September 2018 William Hewes, a Lower Chichester Township mason did the stone masonry work.Horle Craig W. Law Making and Legislators In Pennsylvania: A Biographical Dictionary Volume 2 1710-1756 1997 University of Pennsylvania Press Philadelphia 481–482 https://books.google.com/books?id=b0wrEAAAQBAJ 18 June 2024 In 1789, the Chester County seat was moved to West Chester, Pennsylvania, and the Chester Courthouse served as the Delaware County courthouse. In 1850 the Delaware County seat was moved to Media, Pennsylvania, and the Chester Courthouse served as City Hall for the city of Chester.Ashmead Henry Graham History of Delaware County, Pennsylvania 1884 L. H. Everts & Co. Philadelphia 394-395 https://archive.org/details/cu31924006215655 6 June 2017 The courthouse was used by the Delaware County Historical Society until 1966 when structural deficiencies forced them to relocate. Owned by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission, in July 2021 the Delaware County Council entered into a 99-year lease for the Courthouse at a cost of $1 per year. Unable to afford the maintenance of the building, the Commission sought to find a way to "offload" it. The Council in conjunction with the Delaware County Historical Commission will manage the building.Delco preserves 'longest continuously used government building in the country' https://whyy.org/articles/delco-takes-control-of-1724-chester-courthouse-the-longest-continuously-used-government-building-in-the-country/ 2021-07-07 WHYY en-US The court room was the oldest active court in use in the United States until 1967. Every year, one trial was held in the court room to maintain that status.1724 Old Chester Court House http://explorepahistory.com/attraction.php?id=1-B-15A0 ExplorePAhistory.com December 13, 2013 Each year in May, during the celebration of Law Day, a special ceremony is held at the Chester Courthouse. Students from the Chester-Upland School District present a mock trial before Judges of the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas and the Magisterial District Courts to commemorate the significance of the courthouse and its importance to American jurisprudence.Law Day at the 1724 Colonial Courthouse http://www.co.delaware.pa.us/courts/coloniallawday.html www.co.delaware.pa.us 21 September 2018 See also List of the oldest courthouses in the United States List of state and county courthouses in Pennsylvania References External links left Saving Chester's 1724 Court House The Chester Bicentennial Committee Chester, Pennsylvania http://www.oldchesterpa.com/1724_Courthouse.htm Delaware County Council June Meeting at 1724 Chester PA Courthouse, video, 9:51 Category:County courthouses in Pennsylvania Category:Chester, Pennsylvania Category:Buildings and structures in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Category:Government buildings completed in 1724 Category:History of Chester, Pennsylvania Category:Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Pennsylvania Category:National Register of Historic Places in Delaware County, Pennsylvania Category:1724 establishments in Pennsylvania