Old County Courthouse
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{{Infobox NRHP
| name = Old County Courthouse
| nrhp_type =
| image = Old County Courthouse in Plymouth MA.jpg
| caption =
| location = Plymouth, Massachusetts
| coordinates = {{coord|41|57|20|N|70|39|53|W|display=inline,title}}
| locmapin = Massachusetts#USA
| area =
| built = 1749
| architect = Peter Oliver
| architecture =
| added = February 23, 1972
| refnum = 72001297{{NRISref|2008a}}
}}
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.Craig S. Chartier, "Of Plymouth Plantation: Predicting the Location of the Original Plymouth Village, Its Extent, and Its Houses," PARP May 2016, www.plymoutharch.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/leyden-st-houses.pdf
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.{{cite web|url=https://mhc-macris.net/details?mhcid=ply.90|title=NRHP nomination for Old County Courthouse|publisher=Commonwealth of Massachusetts|access-date=2014-05-23}} 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.
Gallery
File:2015-07-16 022 Plymouth MA.jpg|Descriptive plaque on exterior of courthouse, 2015
File:2015-07-16 021 Plymouth MA.jpg|Herse on display in the old courthouse, 2015
File:2015-07-16 020 Plymouth MA.jpg|Courtroom on 2nd floor, 2015
See also
References
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External links
- [http://www.visit-plymouth.com/courthouse.htm 1749 Court House and Museum]
{{National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts}}
Category:Government buildings completed in 1749
Category:Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Massachusetts
Category:Museums in Plymouth, Massachusetts
Category:History museums in Massachusetts
Category:Law museums in the United States
Category:County courthouses in Massachusetts
Category:National Register of Historic Places in Plymouth County, Massachusetts
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