Washington County Courthouse Tours
rev.  8 May 2008

The Pennsylvania Trolley Museum collaborates with Washington County to bring you educational tours of the Washington County Courthouse.  These tours are free to schools and groups. 

Courthouse Tour:  This session is lead by Barb Kearns-Jones, Educator, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum.  The 45-minute look at the “People’s Palace” includes:

v     Brief history of Washington County and its four courthouses
v     Art history of the current building
v     Walk through the metal detector (Who will set off the alarm,  the students or the teachers?)
v     Description of the offices within the courthouse (Prothonotary, Recorder of Wills & Court of Clerks)
v     Visit to a courtroom
    o       Description of the different types of court cases (criminal and civil cases)
    o       Discussion of the roles within the courtroom (i.e. how do you get to be a judge or a jury member?)
 

Weather permitting, we will be outside for part of the courthouse tour then move inside.  Please encourage the students to dress appropriately. 

You may also wish to schedule a session with a local sheriff's deputy.  In fact, if your group is large (over 30) this is the ideal way to organize a visit.  One half of the group tours the courthouse while the other meets with a Sheriff's Deputy.   After 45 minutes, the groups are switched.

Sheriff’s Talk:  This session is lead by a Sheriff's Deputy.  Most of us do not really know much about the role of the Sheriff’s Department in the county.  A deputy from the department will spend 45 minutes talking about their role, which includes:

v     Transporting inmates
v     Serving warrants and papers for civil cases
v     Staffing the metal detectors at the courthouse entrances
v     Patrolling county parks
v     The local START team
v     The equipment used by the deputies (bulletproof jackets, helmets, leg and hand cuffs, etc)

The Sheriff’s Talk is very interactive and the students really enjoy this session. 

The tour of the Courthouse and the Sheriff's Talk are intended for students third grade and up.

If you are thinking of making a day of your trip to downtown Washington, there are other options available.  Both the LeMoyne House (Washington County Historical Society) and the David Bradford House are within walking distance of the Courthouse.  Tours can be arranged for the Sheriff, the LeMoyne House, the Bradford House, and the Courthouse in one day. 

Please note that the Courthouse and Sheriff's Talks are scheduled through Barb Kearns-Jones, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum and are free of charge.  Tours of the LeMoyne House and the David Bradford House need to be scheduled directly through them and do have admission fees. 

Contact Information:

Barb Kearns-Jones, Pennsylvania Trolley Museum, 724-228-9256
Washington County Historical Society (The LeMoyne House), 724-225-6740
The Bradford House, 724-222-3604