Fairfield County Courthouse (Bridgeport, Connecticut)

For the courthouse in Danbury, Connecticut, see Fairfield County Courthouse (Danbury, Connecticut).
Fairfield County Courthouse
Location 172 Golden Hill St., Bridgeport, Connecticut
Coordinates 41°10′50″N 73°11′28″W / 41.18056°N 73.19111°W / 41.18056; -73.19111Coordinates: 41°10′50″N 73°11′28″W / 41.18056°N 73.19111°W / 41.18056; -73.19111
Area 2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built 1888
Architect Warren R. Briggs
Architectural style Richardsonian Romanesque
Part of Bridgeport Downtown North Historic District (#87001403)
NRHP Reference # 82004376[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP January 21, 1982
Designated CP November 2, 1987

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 a Richardsonian Romanesque brick building built in 1888. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1][2]

History

In 1886, when Bridgeport City 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 cornerstone was laid on June 24, 1887 near the corner of Golden Hill and Main Streets and the Richardsonian Romanesque building, designed by Warren R. Briggs, was completed and opened in 1888. It still functions as a courthouse where all but the most serious criminal cases are heard.[3]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  2. ↑ D. S. Plummer (September 8, 1980). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Fairfield County Courthouse" (PDF). National Park Service. and Accompanying 10 photos, exterior and interior, from 1980
  3. ↑ "Fairfield County Courthouse at Bridgeport Golden Hill". State of Connecticut Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2010-08-04.
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