Allegheny County Jail
Encyclopedia
The old Allegheny County Jail located in the 400 block of Ross Street in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
, was built in 1886. The courthouse
and jail were designed by Henry Hobson Richardson
. In 1884, the construction of the buildings was begun by the Norcross Brothers
, Richardson's construction firm of choice. The jail portion of the complex was completed in 1886, the year of Richardson's death, and the entire courthouse was finished in 1886 by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
, Richardson's successor firm. Additions to the jail were added by Frederick J. Osterling
from 1903 to 1905. The old jail was added to the List of City of Pittsburgh historic designations on December 26, 1972. The building now houses the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Family Division.
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
, was built in 1886. The courthouse
Allegheny County Courthouse
Allegheny County Courthouse is a government building of Allegheny County located in the county seat, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.- Early structures:...
and jail were designed by Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson
Henry Hobson Richardson was a prominent American architect who designed buildings in Albany, Boston, Buffalo, Chicago, Pittsburgh, and other cities. The style he popularized is named for him: Richardsonian Romanesque...
. In 1884, the construction of the buildings was begun by the Norcross Brothers
Norcross Brothers
Norcross Brothers Contractors and Builders was a prominent nineteenth-century American construction company, especially noted for their work, mostly in stone, for the architectural firms of H.H. Richardson and McKim, Mead & White....
, Richardson's construction firm of choice. The jail portion of the complex was completed in 1886, the year of Richardson's death, and the entire courthouse was finished in 1886 by Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge
Shepley, Rutan and Coolidge was a successful architecture firm based in Boston, Massachusetts, operating between 1886 and 1915, with extensive commissions in monumental civic and collegiate architecture in the spirit and style of Henry Hobson Richardson....
, Richardson's successor firm. Additions to the jail were added by Frederick J. Osterling
Frederick J. Osterling
Frederick John Osterling was an American architect, practicing in Pittsburgh from 1888....
from 1903 to 1905. The old jail was added to the List of City of Pittsburgh historic designations on December 26, 1972. The building now houses the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas Family Division.