National Register of Historic Places

Fairfield County Courthouse

Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
Listed
January 21, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82004376

About this property

The Fairfield County Courthouse, also known as the Court of Common Pleas, is located at 172 Golden Hill Street in Downtown Bridgeport, Connecticut. It is also known as Geographical Area (GA) Courthouse No. 2 at Bridgeport. It is a Richardsonian Romanesque brick building built in 1888. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. It still functions as a courthouse where all but the most serious criminal cases are heard. In 1886, when the then-current city hall/county courthouse (now McLevy Hall) proved insufficient for both the growing needs of Bridgeport and Fairfield County, the county decided to build a new courthouse. Norwalk bid for the new courthouse to be moved there, offering $100,000 towards construction, but the Bridgeport group, including P.T. Barnum, offered $150,000. The building was designed by Bridgeport architect Warren R. Briggs, and was completed and opened in 1888. The Fairfield County Courthouse stands on the northside of downtown Bridgeport, on the north side of Golden Hill Street just west of Main Street. It is a three-story masonry structure, with its exterior clad in brick with brownstone and terra cotta trim. It is set on a high foundation of ashlar granite. The main facade is dominated by a six-story tower at its center, which is capped by a pyramidal roof. The building corners are adorned with crenellated turrets. The main entrance is to one side of the tower, in the center of a series of large round-arch bays, with flanking granite columns. National Register of Historic Places listings in Bridgeport, Connecticut

Location

172 Golden Hill St.
Bridgeport, Fairfield County, Connecticut
41.18069, -73.19069

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Bridgeport Downtown North Historic District
Listed
0 mi
Hotel Beach
Industrial
0.1 mi
Golden Hill Historic District
Listed
0.1 mi
Palace and Majestic Theaters
Industrial
0.1 mi
US Post Office-Bridgeport Main
Industrial
0.1 mi

Nearby Battles

Burning of Fairfield and Norwalk
1779Revolutionary War
4.6 mi

Questions about this property

When was Fairfield County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Fairfield County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 21, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Fairfield County Courthouse?

Fairfield County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Fairfield County Courthouse?

The period of significance for Fairfield County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Fairfield County Courthouse?

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