"L" is for the Lancaster Courthouse and Jail

"L" is for the Lancaster Courthouse and Jail. During the 1820s, the noted architect Robert Mills designed at least 14 courthouses and 14 jails throughout the state. The Lancaster courthouse and jail are among the best surviving examples of his work from this period. The two-story brick courthouse is set on a raised basement and is characterized by Palladian symmetry and features a pedimented portico with modified Tuscan columns. The vaulted ground story has walls two feet thick. The courthouse has remained in use since its construction. Its elegant styling makes it one of the most refined examples of Mills’ public buildings. The jail is a two-story brick-stuccoed structure, but has been converted into an office building. In 1973 the U.S. Department of the Interior designated the Lancaster Courthouse and Jail as National Historic Landmarks.