Wood County Courthouse, County courthouse in Parkersburg, West Virginia.
The Wood County Courthouse is a county courthouse in Parkersburg, West Virginia, built in Romanesque Revival style with solid stone construction and rounded arch openings. A prominent clock tower rises from its roof, and tall windows punctuate the exterior facade.
Architect L.W. Thomas designed this government building in the 1870s as the seat of the county's judicial system. The structure was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979, recognizing its historical importance to the region.
The building embodies late 19th-century ideas about public authority and permanence through its solid stone form and prominent location in downtown Parkersburg. Walking past it, you sense how the community viewed law and order as enduring institutions.
The building sits at Market Street in downtown Parkersburg, making it easy to find and walk around. It remains an active government building with regular business hours, so visitors can view the exterior and access certain interior spaces without special arrangements.
The building was constructed using stone quarried locally in the region, showcasing craftsmanship typical of how builders worked in that era. The way these stones were cut and fitted together reveals how construction was done a century ago.
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