National Register of Historic Places

Old County Courthouse

Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
Listed
February 23, 1972
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
72001297

About this property

The Old County Courthouse (also known as the Plymouth Old County Courthouse or the Old Town House) is an historic court house on Leyden Street and Market Street in the Town Square of Plymouth, Massachusetts. Built in 1749, the two-story wood-frame building is believed to be the oldest wooden courthouse in the United States; it stands on the site of the first courthouse built by Plymouth Colony settlers, and may incorporate elements of a 1670 building. The site was originally the site of Edward Winslow's first house in Plymouth. It is five bays wide and three deep, with a center entry flanked by sidelight windows and pilasters, and topped by a gabled pediment. It was built by Peter Oliver, and initially served as both a courthouse and as town offices. It was converted to solely municipal use in 1821, and had a myriad of municipal functions since then. In the 1970s it was converted into a museum. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is now known as the 1749 Court House and Museum, and is open from June to September with exhibits of early Plymouth history.

Location

Plymouth, Plymouth County, Massachusetts
41.95559, -70.66408

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENT
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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Native Heritage
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Settlement
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The Community
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Nearby Historic Sites

Plymouth Post Office Building
Industrial
0 mi
First Parish Church of Plymouth
Colonial
0 mi
Sparrow, Richard, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Howland, Jabez, House
Industrial
0.1 mi
Old Burial Hill
Colonial
0.1 mi

Questions about this property

When was Old County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Old County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on February 23, 1972.

What type of historic resource is Old County Courthouse?

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

What is the period of significance for Old County Courthouse?

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

Can I research the history near Old County Courthouse?

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