Perry County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Center Square in New Bloomfield holds this two-story white brick courthouse, built in 1826 to a plan by Jacob Bishop and erected by John Rice. The building was completed the following year and was meant to end a long dispute over where the new county seat should be. Settlers north of the Blue Hills had found the trip to Carlisle, then the seat for their area, difficult. A cupola designed by James M. Duncan crowns a low hip roof, and its Corinthian columns, keystones and arched openings give the building its Greek Revival character. In 1868 the front was largely remodeled at a cost of $25,000, adding pilasters and enlarging the interior, and a clock donated by local citizens was installed in the cupola. An annex was added at the rear in 1892. The building is listed for its architecture and its link to the founding of Perry County.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the courthouse is significant for its Greek Revival architecture, which was heavily reworked in 1868, and for its association with the founding of Perry County and the long dispute over choosing its county seat. The 1892 annex is described as incongruous with the rest of the building, but the main portion is held to retain the significance.
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 75001659, listed February 24, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Center Sq., New Bloomfield |
|---|---|
| County | Perry County |
| Listed | February 24, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001659 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1827-1892 |
| Architect / builder | Jacob Bishop (architect); John Rice (builder) |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Altered; the front was remodeled in 1868 and an annex was added in 1892. The first-floor window on the right of the front is blocked in. |
| Acreage | 0.1 |
| Coordinates | 40.42007, -77.18712 (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 75001659.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7169750
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.