Mercer County Courthouse: A Pennsylvania Treasure
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December 31, 2024
Located 65 miles north of Pittsburgh, Mercer County occupies a relatively flat and agricultural area of northwestern Pennsylvania. The county was organized over 200 years ago in 1803. The town of Mercer, the county seat, is dominated by buildings constructed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Many of these structures were built in an age that honored the sacrifices made during the American Civil War.
The town square surrounds the courthouse like a horseshoe. US Route 19, a main north-south artery, is at the open end. Not enough can ever be said about the Mercer County Courthouse. Its cupola can be seen for miles around, and it dwarfs the little Mercer business district. The building is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
At this time of year, the county decorates a Christmas tree on the lawn with blue ornaments and silver tinsel. I always liked that combination of colors. It’s perfect.
The recently added World War II & Vietnam Veterans memorials on the courthouse lawn interrupt the Civil War time traveling. But they only barely interrupt it. Even the small gray artillery gun is easily overlooked. In Mercer, you feel like this is a town from the Civil War Era. It was vibrant then and still holds onto that feeling today. Later wars’ memorials seem like odd-colored post-it notes stuck atop fine parchment.
The courthouse was built between 1910 and 1911. I am amazed by how this small, rural county afforded all the flash and flare inside this building! Upon entering, I discovered a grand atrium featuring marble stairways, banisters, and bronze embellishments surrounding the wide-open space. A stunning glass ceiling hung far above. Four classical murals depicting the judicial themes of Justice, Power, Guilt, and Innocence were painted in each ceiling corner.
The buildings surrounding the courthouse have barely been nipped over time; many were built in the late 1800s. Businesses and restaurants predominate around the square, and I saw a dry cleaner that advertised “Bachelor Laundry.”
I had a nice lunch at the Mercer Mercantile & Soda Shoppe on the square. The store sells desserts, ice cream, antique items, and rare candy brands. It offers basically everything you would miss at a convenience store.
Mercer lies outside the Pittsburgh and Cleveland ethnic melting pots. This is very much a northern Presbyterian and Methodist town. Below are some older buildings, including old homes and churches.
Here’s one last look at the Mercer County Courthouse.
A list of all photo posts from the American County Seats series in TimManBlog can be found here. Photos in this post were taken by the author on December 24, 2009, or October 7, 2019.
My hobby is traveling to America’s county courthouses. Each month, I post about a visit to a scenic or exciting county seat. It’s a hobby, and donations are greatly appreciated to help cover my costs.
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