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Montgomery County Courthouse (Ohio)
Encyclopedia
The Montgomery County Courthouse (MCC), built in 1847, is an historic Greek Revival building located on the northwest corner of Third and Main streets in Dayton
, Ohio
. It is referred to locally as the Old Courthouse. The limestone
building, modeled on the 5th century BC Temple of Hephaestus
in Athens
, Greece
, is the nation’s best surviving example of a Greek Revival style courthouse.
The design was suggested by Dayton citizen Horace Pease, who had a book of sketches of the Acropolis
in Athens which showed the Temple of Theseus, which he admired. Pease showed it to the Montgomery County Commissioners, who also were favorably impressed, and agreed it would be a good model for their new Courthouse. They hired architect Howard Daniels of New York to draw the plans in which he captured the form and beauty of the ancient Greek temple.
The building, now restored, stands as a tribute to the leaders of old Dayton and to the artisans of the Miami Valley who built it. The Dayton Historical Society, which became The Montgomery County Historical Society
, then Dayton History
, is housed in the Old Court House.
The Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places
on January 26, 1970.
Dayton, Ohio
Dayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. It is referred to locally as the Old Courthouse. The limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
building, modeled on the 5th century BC Temple of Hephaestus
Temple of Hephaestus
The Temple of Hephaestus, also known as the Hephaisteion or earlier as the Theseion, is the best-preserved ancient Greek temple; it remains standing largely as built. It is a Doric peripteral temple, and is located at the north-west side of the Agora of Athens, on top of the Agoraios Kolonos hill....
in Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
, Greece
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
, is the nation’s best surviving example of a Greek Revival style courthouse.
The design was suggested by Dayton citizen Horace Pease, who had a book of sketches of the Acropolis
Acropolis
Acropolis means "high city" in Greek, literally city on the extremity and is usually translated into English as Citadel . For purposes of defense, early people naturally chose elevated ground to build a new settlement, frequently a hill with precipitous sides...
in Athens which showed the Temple of Theseus, which he admired. Pease showed it to the Montgomery County Commissioners, who also were favorably impressed, and agreed it would be a good model for their new Courthouse. They hired architect Howard Daniels of New York to draw the plans in which he captured the form and beauty of the ancient Greek temple.
The building, now restored, stands as a tribute to the leaders of old Dayton and to the artisans of the Miami Valley who built it. The Dayton Historical Society, which became The Montgomery County Historical Society
Montgomery County Historical Society
The Montgomery County Historical Society, located in Dayton, Ohio, USA, was designated as official historian of Montgomery County, Ohio, and of the cultural heritage of Ohio's Miami Valley...
, then Dayton History
Dayton History
Dayton History is an organization located in Dayton, Ohio, USA, formed in 2005 by the merger of the Montgomery County Historical Society and Dayton's Carillon Historical Park....
, is housed in the Old Court House.
The Courthouse was added to 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...
on January 26, 1970.