Baltimore County Courthouse

Designed in the Greek Revival style, the Baltimore County Courthouse is one of the few "H"-shaped buildings in Maryland. It has been the seat of county government since its construction in 1855 and was expanded over time to its current size. The original part features a large portico with fluted Doric columns and a large cupola topped with a domed copper roof. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. It is located across a plaza from the modern County Courts Building which houses various county circuit courts and the county sheriff's office.

The city of Baltimore separated from the county in 1851 and three years later on February 13, 1854, Towson was selected as the county seat. The county commissioners hired the firm Dixon & Dixon to design the courthouse. They modeled it after the Hampton House, which is located three miles to the north and is a National Historic Site. The cupola on the courthouse is almost an exact replica of the one on the house except that it has more detailing.

The first expansion of the courthouse came in 1910 when the north and south wings were added (they were designed by another firm, Baldwin and Pennington). Both have pediments supported by pilasters to mimic the portico of the original building. A one-story wing on the west side was built as well. These additions gave the courthouse a "T" shape. In 1925, the west wing was extended west and a second story was added. The last expansion of the courthouse occurred in 1958 when the three-story addition was built at the end of the west wing. This final piece created the "H" shape. The County Courts Building, which sometimes referred to as the "new courthouse" was erected in 1970.

Parish, Mrs. Preston. "Baltimore County Courthouse." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. October 27, 1972. https://mht.maryland.gov/secure/medusa/PDF/NR_PDFs/NR-100.pdf.