Barnstable County Courthouse

The Barnstable County Courthouse is an historic courthouse at 3195 Main Street in Barnstable, Massachusetts. The two-story Greek Revival building was built in 1831 to a design by noted architect Alexander Parris. It is built mostly out of Quincy granite, although its front portico and fluted Doric columns are made of wood fashioned to look like stone. The building has been expanded five times between 1879 and 1971, with each addition made in a style sensitive to its original styling, and its main courtroom features original Federal styling. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, and included in the Old King's Highway Historic District in 1987. The Barnstable Superior Court is located in the building.Description and historyThe courthouse is set on the south side of Main Street, at the western edge of a complex housing administrative facilities of Barnstable County. The building consists of a north-facing original rectangular two-story block, behind which a series of symmetrically-arranged wings have been built. The original block, designed by the renowned architect Alexander Parris, measures 65x, and is fashioned out of large blocks of Quincy granite. It is fronted by a Greek temple front, consisting of a triangular pediment supported by four fluted Doric columns. The temple front, including the columns, is fashioned out of wood finished to give the appearance of stone. The main courtroom has retained most of its original woodwork and trim, including some of its original furnishings.