Mahoning County Courthouse- Youngstown, OH

Old courthouses and libraries are my absolute favorite public buildings. Any city I visit, they are among my first stops. Communities spared no expense in the construction of these buildings, and it showed. Elaborate architecture signified the important nature of the business transacted inside: Learning and Justice.

Somewhere that sentiment was lost, probably along with the skilled artisans that constructed these buildings. Fortunately, many grande dames remain, and have been restored to their former glory. Mahoning County Courthouse is an excellent example. A reminder of the area’s prosperous past, its impressive architecture shines following a recent $8M restoration.

Mahoning County’s first Youngstown courthouse was a High Victorian structure designed by Charles H. Owsley in 1876. In the following decades, the steel industry flourished in the area, and by 1905 the county’s population surpassed 100,000, rendering that courthouse obsolete. In 1906, a referendum was passed to build a new courthouse, with Owsley’s son chosen as the architect.

The cornerstone of the Renaissance Revival courthouse was laid on June 11, 1908. It was intended to be a symbol of the area’s prosperity; indeed, it was designed to be the finest courthouse between Chicago and New York. As such, Owsley was given a $1M budget, to use on marble, terra cotta and Honduran mahogany.

Completed in 1911, the exterior boasted a granite and terra cotta façade, with six Ionic columns supporting an entablature crowned by a copper sculpture titled Justice, Strength and Authority & Law, by Chicago artists Charles Bell and Leon Hermant. The interior features a four story rotunda, a stunning art glass dome, and marble floors and columns. Murals depicting legal ideals and local history decorate the walls, along with elaborate moldings.

The final cost of construction of the courthouse was over $1.9M, almost twice the approved budget, but Owsley unquestionable delivered the finest courthouse in the region. By the 1950’s however, the public was ready for a more modern structure, and many of the original details were hidden away under drop ceilings and embossed wall coverings; much of the building’s wood was replaced by stainless steel to emphasize Youngstown’s main industry.

By 1985, following the collapse of the steel industry, it was determined that restoring the courthouse would symbolize the city’s resiliency. Completed in 1991, the $8M restoration involved removing all false surfaces, restoring damaged marble, and cleaning all murals. Later restorations secured the building’s envelope, and repaired the rooftop statue.

Today, the courthouse is once again one of the finest buildings in Youngstown. It may even be the most impressive. The level of detail and the workmanship is outstanding, and warrants a trip even for those without legal business in the building. So, while Youngstown may still be struggling with revitalization, its courthouse restoration was an absolute success.