Allegheny County Courthouse

The Allegheny County Courthouse features a heavy, rusticated granite exterior topped by a massive central tower that looms over Grant Street. Henry Hobson Richardson designed the building in the eighteen eighties, prioritizing thick walls and deep stone arches to create a sense of permanence. When the construction crew finished, they had built a fortress of justice. Prisoners once arrived here by a bridge across the street, designed so they would never have to walk on public ground to reach their trials.