Dorchester County Courthouse and Jail
Encyclopedia
Dorchester County Courthouse and Jail is a historic courthouse
building located at Cambridge
, the county seat
of Dorchester County, Maryland
. It is an Italianate
influenced, painted brick structure, which was enlarged and extensively remodeled with Georgian Revival decorative detailing in the 1930s. The building entrance is flanked on the north by a three-story tower. It was constructed in 1853, and is the only courthouse designed by Richard Upjohn
in Maryland.
The County Jail, which stood to the southeast of the courthouse from about 1882 until its demolition in 1994, was a Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival style granite structure with brick and terra cotta features. The jail was the work of the Baltimore architect, Charles L. Carson
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1982.
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
building located at Cambridge
Cambridge, Maryland
Cambridge is a city in Dorchester County, Maryland, United States. The population was 12,326 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Dorchester County and the county's largest municipality...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Dorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County, Maryland
Dorchester County is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland on its Eastern Shore. It is bordered by the Choptank River to the north, Talbot County to the northwest, Caroline County to the northeast, Wicomico County to the southeast, Sussex County, Delaware, to the east, and the Chesapeake...
. It is an Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
influenced, painted brick structure, which was enlarged and extensively remodeled with Georgian Revival decorative detailing in the 1930s. The building entrance is flanked on the north by a three-story tower. It was constructed in 1853, and is the only courthouse designed by Richard Upjohn
Richard Upjohn
Richard Upjohn was an English-born architect who emigrated to the United States and became most famous for his Gothic Revival churches. He was partially responsible for launching the movement to such popularity in the United States. Upjohn also did extensive work in and helped to popularize the...
in Maryland.
The County Jail, which stood to the southeast of the courthouse from about 1882 until its demolition in 1994, was a Queen Anne and Romanesque Revival style granite structure with brick and terra cotta features. The jail was the work of the Baltimore architect, Charles L. Carson
Charles L. Carson
Charles L. Carson , was an architect born in Baltimore, the oldest son of Daniel Carson, a builder, and one of the founders of the Baltimore chapter of AIA. In 1871 he partnered with Thomas Dixon for some time doing business from their offices at 117 Baltimore Street as Thomas Dixon and Charles L...
.
It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1982.
External links
- Dorchester County Courthouse and Jail, Dorchester County, including photo from 1981, at Maryland Historical Trust