“Pershing County Court House in Lovelock, Nevada” by Famartin is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0
Pershing County Courthouse is located in Lovelock, NV, about 93 miles east of Reno. Designed by renowned Nevada architect Frederick DeLongchamps, the courthouse is only one of two round courthouses in the United States (the other is Bucks County Courthouse in Pennsylvania).
“Pershing County Courthouse, Lovelock, Nevada” by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
Its architectural style is described as “classical revival,” also known as Jeffersonian Classicism. When asked by Pershing County officials to create a distinct yet cost-effective design, DeLongchamps came up with the round courthouse design. He was inspired by Thomas Jefferson’s library, the Rotunda, at the University of Virginia campus (source), which had been modeled after the Pantheon in Rome.
Originally constructed in 1920, Pershing County Courthouse was completed on June 20, 1921, exactly 96 years ago today. The 16,000 square foot, single-story building cost $99,138.68 to build (source). It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986.
“Pershing County Courthouse Jury Box, Lovelock, Nevada” by Ken Lund is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0
A new renovation project commenced in February of this year to update the main meeting room at Pershing County Courthouse. Historic documents, maps, and photographs as well as other artifacts will remain on display in the room. In addition to cosmetic changes (new paint, furniture, and flooring), the renovation project also includes upgrades to the audio and visual equipment. For more details on the renovation project, visit news4nevada.com.
If you are looking for a distinctive piece of architecture designed by one of Nevada’s finest architects, be sure to visit the Pershing County Courthouse.
For more information, you can view the full Pershing County Courthouse filming location details here and don’t forget to register your project! You can also learn more about other interesting sites around Pershing County in this TravelNevada.com article.