Washington County Courthouse

Fourth of the county's courthouses, the 1899-1890 courthouse was designed in the Beaux Arts classical style by Pittsburgh architect F. J. Osterling. Built by William Miller & Sons, it is constructed of Columbia sandstone and South Carolina granite, with a terra cotta dome. Capping the dome it an imposing 18'tall statue of George Washington that reaches a height of 150' from ground level. Its interior features an open central rotunda crowned with eight-sectioned brilliantly colored stained glass windows in the domed skylight with a rose window center. The courthouse's doorways are interfaced with Honduras mahogany. The central court with grand stairway is graced with flemish oak woodwork, Italian marble, stucco, antique bronze bannisters and red and Grecian gold egg-and-dart borders. The base of the dome rests on 12 pilasters rising from the basement to the third floor rotunda. The massive columns are artistically rendered faux marble that can be detected by its warmth to the touch. This courthouse is regarded as one of the finest in the commonwealth and has been visited by many dignitaries from Grant to Kennedy.