Although
the commercial area of the historic exhibits the usual modem updating
of the first floor facades, the upper storied retain the physical
characteristics of their historic periods. The Uptown Somerset Historic
District retains the integrity of design, settings, materials, workmanship,
feeling, and association of a mid-nineteenth century to early twentieth
century commercial and government center. Most
buildings in the uptown Somerset Historical District were constructed
after the fire of 1876 which destroyed most of the commercial section
and many residences south of Union St. The oldest buildings in the
district, dating from the first half of the 19th century, are located
along Union St. and East Main St. and are primarily residential.
The
Historic District centers on the intersection of Union St. and North
Center Ave. This intersection contains three of the most architecturally
significant buildings in Somerset:
- former
Somerset Trust Company
- former
First National Bank
- County
Courthouse
 Three
Courthouses, completed in the years 1801, 1853, and 1907,
have stood on the elevated site deeded to Somerset County by
Adam Schneider in 1795. The present Courthouse was constructed
in 1904-06 by the firm of Caldwell and Drake of Columbus, Indiana,
following plans prepared by J.C. Fulton, architect from Uniontown,
Pennsylvania. Prominent in the skyline of the Borough of
Somerset, this exemplary structure stands at 2190 feet above
sea level - the greatest altitude among courthouses in Pennsylvania.
The elegant and permanent form of the Somerset County Courthouse
illustrates the vision of the architect and the craftsmanship of the builder.
The heavy sand stone foundations bears a structure which rises through decorative
marble, bronze, and walnut to a bright and spacious stained glass dome, surmounted
with a weathervane in tune with the lightest breeze.
The progression from solidarity to flexibility - from earth
to sky - complements the location of the Courthouse atop the Alleghenies and
preserves an appropriate atmosphere for judicial activity which rests in a
firm Constitution and responds to the varying elements of human circumstances.
The architectural features - the Grand Staircase, The quietly dignified courtrooms,
the column porticoes and balustrades, and the safely domed tower - distinguish
the material of the Courthouse and combine elegance with permanence, bringing
life to the form.
Based on it's historical, geographical, and architectural prominence,
the Somerset County Courthouse is the first site to be recorded on the Somerset
County Register of Historic Sites. This landmark is also listed on the Pennsylvania
Inventory of Historic Sites, and in 1980, it was named to the National Register
of Historic Places.
 Old
Jail and Sheriff's Residence,
121 East Union Street, Somerset. Construction of the jail began
in 1856, and shortly after completion, the sheriff's living
quarters were added. Noted for its double gallows and numerous
escape attempts, the jail was fitted with iron cell blocks
in 1890. Traditionally, the sheriff's wife prepared meals for
the prisoners. It is no longer in use as a jail.
 Ankeny
- Imhoff - Dressler House, 214 S. Harrison Avenue,
Somerset. This brick farm house was built by Joseph Imhoff,
former sheriff, on land purchased from the Peter Ankeny family.
It was a boarding house and summer resort in the nineteenth
century; today, the Structure is the Phillips Dressler Center
for the arts, headquarters for Laurel Arts, Inc.
 Somerset
Academy, 218 North Kimberly Avenue, Somerset. The
old Somerset Academy was built on this site about 1819, but
the present Union Street School building replaced it in 1882.
Representing a long history as an educational facility, this
structure was enlarged in 1897 to house Somerset's high school.
 Koontz
- Lansberry House, 139 East Union Street, Somerset.
Many notables, from Pres. McKinley and a Supreme Court Justice
to governors and prominent businessmen have visited this elegant
Italianate home, built by Wm. H. Koontz in 1869. Later owners,
Judge and Mrs. Thomas F. Lansberry, entertained Vice President
Nixon (1954), senators, state and federal officials, and sports
figures here.
 Coffee
Springs Farm, East Main Street, Somerset. Harmon
Husband, leader of the North Carolina revolt against the British,
sought asylum here in 1771. He built his home, Coffee Springs
Farm, Sometime before 1780. The original part is presumed to
be log. Husband later became a pamphleteer and was active in
the Whiskey Rebellion.
 Koontz
- Herald Building, 110 East Union Street, Somerset.
Its facade remarkably well-preserved, this Victorian building
was built soon after the fire of 1872 by Wm. H. Koontz, It
housed his law offices. Its distinctive bracketwork and other
details have been retained, making it a fine example of the
Italianate style commercial building.
 Old
Somerset Trust Company Building, 131 North Center
Avenue, Somerset. Built in 1906 by the same firm that built
the courthouse, this Neoclassical structure is a good example
of turn-of-the-century bank buildings. Its exterior is constructed
of limestone and granite, the interior enriched with mahogany
and marble. The Building also supports a stained glass dome.
 Patriot
Street School, 209 West Patriot Street, Somerset.
Outstanding features of this 1906 building include decorative
brickwork at cornices, corners and windowheads. The interior
is designed so that classroom entrances face a large center foyer
where students could gather for assemblies.
 First
National Bank - Klatzkin Building. North Center
Avenue, Somerset. Architecturally significant, this former
bank building was constructed in 1922 of Indiana limestone.
Is style is Italian Renaissance, evident in its tall, arched
windows and sculpted stone panels that wreath the doorway.
 Baer
- Schenck Building, 125 West Main Street, Somerset.
Judge Wm. J. Baer built this Mansard - roofed townhouse in
1872. In the early 1900s the west half of the building was
torn down, and the remaining half was occupied by a succession
of small retailers. For the past 50 years, George Schenck
Sr. has owned a clothing store here, and its interior design,
reminiscent of the 1920s, has been admirably preserved.
The
above information was from Somerset County Register of Historic
Sites,
Published Oct. 1981.
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