Clinton County Courthouse Complex
Why it's listed
Two linked municipal buildings on Margaret Street in Plattsburgh make up this county government complex. The Clinton County Court House, designed by M.F. Cummings of Troy and built in 1889, is a massive Richardsonian Romanesque structure. A large square central tower with an open campanile and pyramidal roof rises above hipped roofs, rock-faced arches and belt courses. The first story is broken ashlar stone and the upper story is red pressed brick from Glens Falls. Beside it stands the Old Surrogate's Building, completed in January 1885 and attributed to Cummings. It originally housed the Surrogate, County Clerk and Board of Supervisors. This Italianate building has a bracketed cornice, molded stone lintels and Renaissance detailing. A modern Government Center and a court house annex, both non-contributing, adjoin the older buildings. Together with City Hall, the two historic buildings are considered the most architecturally significant municipal structures in the city, and the Court House still serves the county's legal system.
Significance in brief: The Court House is a monumental Richardsonian Romanesque civic building that is a focal point of Margaret Street and the city. The Old Surrogate's Building is an excellent Italianate structure with Renaissance detail. With City Hall, these two are described as the three most architecturally significant municipal buildings in Plattsburgh. The reviewer accepted the nomination under Criterion C.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 82001101, listed November 12, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 135 Margaret St., Plattsburgh |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | November 12, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001101 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Court House: architect M.F. Cummings of Troy; builder Brown Bros. Surrogate's Building: attributed to Marcus F. Cummings; built by Clinton County. |
| Architectural style | Richardsonian Romanesque (Court House); Italianate (Old Surrogate's Building) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Court House remains in use as the legal focus of Clinton County government; both buildings are in good to excellent condition. The Surrogate's Building is still used for offices, and the Annex is non-contributing because of extensive modern alteration. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 44.69886, -73.45319 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 82001101.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5134097
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.