Huntingdon County unveils courthouse upgrades
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HUNTINGDON -- Although the Huntingdon County Courthouse is more than 140 years old, it's now ready to serve for another 140 years thanks to a suite of comprehensive renovations.
Local leaders unveiled the updates to the roof, second floor and rear of the building Thursday afternoon.
The $4 million project began in 2024, when an inspection of the building discovered the wooden beams that support the roof were deteriorating, according to county Commissioner Jeff Thomas. That discovery catalyzed a larger renovation project.
"You couldn't get to the roof beams without pretty much tearing up the whole upstairs to fix it, so it made the perfect sense ... to do the other renovations up there at the same time," he said.
The newly renovated building boasts a redone upstairs courtroom, secure holding area, safety and security upgrades and a variety of accessibility improvements to boost ADA compliance, he said.
Under the prior layout, both male and female defendants who are currently incarcerated had to share one holding cell. Now, there are two separate cells for each gender.
Newly installed security doors will also prevent the public from entering sensitive areas like judges' chambers, Thomas said.
Penn State Construction LLC, of Lewiston, carried out the work over eight months beginning in November 2024 and completed in July 2025, with minor finishing touches done recently.
While the project was scheduled to be finished by June 15, 2025, an expanding scope of work delayed the overall timeline.
Over the past 15 years, the county has renovated the first floor and courthouse belltower in separate projects, Thomas said, so now virtually the entire building has been refurbished.
During the construction process, workers uncovered the original stained glass windows and ornate molded ceiling that were covered during a round of extensive renovations to the building done in the 1970s, Thomas said.
Those features were hidden by a drop ceiling that was installed at the time and are again visible to courthouse visitors.
The second floor of the courthouse had remained virtually untouched since the last round of work in the 1970s, Thomas said.
State Rep. Rich Irvin, R-81st District, whose district includes much of Huntingdon and Franklin counties, attended the ribbon-cutting event.
"It's great to see the county Board of Commissioners are taking into consideration the age of the building and ensuring it will continue hundreds of years down the road as a vital part of our community," Irvin said.
Huntingdon County Chief Clerk Heather Fellman praised the project, noting that Penn State Construction had maintained the building's historical charm and value while updating its facilities to modern standards.
The exterior sections of the rear of the building that were updated blend seamlessly into the existing brickwork.
Huntingdon County President Judge George Zanic said in a statement, "from a box of paneling to this beautiful courtroom -- it's been really fun to watch."
Thomas said an open house will be scheduled in the near future to allow the public to tour the renovated second floor.
Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.