Westmoreland County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Greensburg's county courthouse, at the corner of Main and Pittsburgh Streets, is a four-story building with a central dome rising 175 feet above ground and flanking gable-roofed wings. Completed in 1906-7 and dedicated in January 1908, it was designed by William Kauffman, an architect from Pittsburgh. Its exterior is faced with light gray granite from Maine, and the small domes and main dome are covered in gold and ivory terra cotta. The east entrance has a large pediment carved with figures representing Art and Industry. Inside, the rotunda rises through four floors, with walls of English-veined Italian marble, colored marble mosaic floors, a marble grand stairway, and mahogany and white oak woodwork. The building is significant as an ornate example of the Beaux Arts style and as a work of an architect whose dome design was rarely built. It succeeded earlier courthouses on the same site, the first a log structure that served until 1801.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the courthouse is an impressive example of the Beaux Arts style, notable for its ornate gold glazed dome, decorative carving and statuary, and interior finished in marble and fine woods. It describes the dome as one of only two of its design built by its architect, William Kauffman.
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 78002485, listed March 30, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-haiku-5-5, prompt v1.1-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N. Main St., Greensburg |
|---|---|
| County | Westmoreland County |
| Listed | March 30, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002485 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | William Kauffman (architect) |
| Architectural style | Beaux Arts |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Politics/Government, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The courthouse is in good condition, though weathering has affected the dome and a windstorm caused two dome sections to fall; plans were being made to remold the terra cotta. A two-story office building and parking garage were being added to the rear. |
| Acreage | 0.5 |
| Within district | Greensburg Downtown Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.30270, -79.54598 (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 78002485.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7989281
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.