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The Evolution of the Berks County Courthouse Plans, 1930–1932

How competing designs and debates over cost, location, and court facilities led to the construction and 1932 opening of Reading’s landmark courthouse.

The Berks County Courthouse that eventually rose above downtown Reading was not the product of a single architectural vision. During 1930 and early 1931, county officials considered different building designs, debated the location and cost of the project, and faced opposition from judges over how the new courthouse should be constructed. Additional newspaper reports trace the move into temporary quarters, the rise of the steel framework, and the building’s opening in December 1932.

Early proposals featured a monumental courthouse with a prominent central tower. Later plans called for a much taller, more modern skyscraper that would consolidate county offices and provide room for future expansion.

Newspaper coverage from the Reading Times and other contemporary publications reveals how the project evolved from an architectural proposal into an ambitious plan to reshape the center of county government.

1930: The Search for a Suitable Courthouse Design

By February 1930, the Berks County commissioners were considering plans for replacing the existing courthouse at Sixth and Court streets.

A February 15 article in the Reading Times, titled “New Court House Plan Given Commissioners,” described two competing architectural proposals.

One was prepared by Fred A. Muhlenberg, an architect working in cooperation with the Berks County Bar Association. The second came from William H. Dechant and Sons, a Reading architectural and engineering firm.

Both proposals contemplated using the existing courthouse property, but they differed in appearance and architectural approach.

Muhlenberg's proposal called for a traditional monumental building with a central tower, possibly 14 or 16 stories high. The design apparently depended on the available money and land.

The Dechant firm, meanwhile, was developing an alternative approach that would ultimately move the project toward a skyscraper-style courthouse.

The discussion was not limited to what the building should look like. There were also questions about where it should be built.

A group in West Reading suggested relocating the county courthouse across the Schuylkill River. Supporters argued that a West Reading location could offer more space, and there was even discussion of making a suitable site available without cost to the county.

Commissioners Walter A. Ringler, K. Savidge, and other county officials faced competing ideas about architecture, financing, and location.

The possibility of moving the courthouse away from its historic downtown location was considered, but plans continued to center on Sixth and Court streets.

February 1930: The First Architectural Renderings

A February 18, 1930, edition of the Reading Times featured illustrations of proposed courthouse designs.

One image showed a large stone building dominated by a tall, steeply roofed tower. Its architectural treatment suggested the monumental Gothic-inspired civic buildings common in the early twentieth century.

Another sketch showed a much more vertical arrangement, with a tall office tower rising above a broad lower section containing court facilities.

The illustrations demonstrated two different ways of approaching the same problem. One emphasized the courthouse as a monumental civic landmark. The other treated the project as both a courthouse and a modern office building.

One of the published proposals included approximately 115,000 square feet of floor area and an estimated construction cost of about $1.35 million, excluding the acquisition of additional land.

Although these early images were only proposals, they established the general direction of the project: Berks County wanted a building large enough to serve as both its judicial center and its principal administrative headquarters.

June 1930: William H. Dechant and Sons Selected

A major development came in June 1930.

On June 5, the Reading Times reported that county officials favored employing William H. Dechant and Sons to design the new courthouse.

Philadelphia architect Paul Cret had also been considered. Cret had submitted sketches for a new courthouse several years earlier and had been suggested as a possible consultant.

However, the commissioners ultimately selected the Reading firm.

On June 11, the newspaper formally announced that William H. Dechant and Sons had been engaged to design the building.

The first assignment was not to produce final construction drawings. It was to survey the existing courthouse property and surrounding parcels to determine how much land would be needed.

At this stage, the Dechant firm's earlier concept was described as a 17-story, 230-foot skyscraper, the tallest building in Reading if constructed as proposed.

Its estimated construction cost was approximately $1.35 million, with a six-story section containing courtrooms above the lower offices.

The proposal included entrances from Reed, Court, and Sixth streets, as well as an entrance for prisoners on the north side.

The county had now selected its architects, but it still had not settled the building's precise shape or footprint.

October 1930: A $2 Million Project

By October, the project had become an increasingly important financial undertaking.

On October 15, the Reading Times carried the headline “$2,000,000 Total for Court House.”

Commissioner Walter A. Ringler maintained that the entire undertaking, including land acquisition, could be completed for no more than $2 million.

Approximately $500,000 of the projected expense was associated with acquiring the additional property required for construction.

At that point, the proposed building was described as being located midway between Sixth and Seventh streets, with its entrance on Washington Street. This would have required considerable property acquisition and allowed for a possible future addition toward Seventh Street.

The proposal reflected a growing concern among officials that the existing courthouse site might not provide sufficient room for a building expected to serve the county for many decades.

But the additional land came at a price.

November 1930: The Full-Block Proposal

On November 12, a new proposal emerged that would have dramatically changed the courthouse property.

Fred H. Dechant suggested that Berks County eventually acquire the entire block bounded by Sixth, Seventh, Court, and Washington streets.

The architect believed that continued population growth and the expansion of county government would eventually require additional space.

The original plan called for a 17-story courthouse behind the existing building, but Dechant argued that a larger parcel would provide flexibility for future construction.

Property owners in the affected area were asked to supply valuations for their buildings and land.

However, purchasing the additional properties threatened to push the project beyond its budget.

The Reading Times reported that the county was confronting property valuations that could substantially increase the total cost. Some owners were reportedly asking amounts above what county officials considered reasonable.

The land problem soon forced another major reconsideration of the courthouse plans.

November 26, 1930: A 20-Story Tower on the Existing Site

One of the most dramatic changes occurred on November 26.

Under the headline “New Court House to Go 'Sky High' on Present Site,” the Reading Times reported that the commissioners had abandoned the expensive proposal to construct a 17-story courthouse behind the existing building.

Instead, they announced plans for a skyscraper of approximately 20 stories directly on the present courthouse site.

The new concept called for a tower with a six- or seven-story wing extending along Reed Street toward Washington Street.

The wing would be constructed first, providing temporary accommodations for county offices while the old courthouse was demolished and the principal tower erected.

The main building would contain approximately 17 full-sized floors, with the possibility of adding several smaller upper stories.

The building was to be constructed of steel and concrete, with exterior brick and limestone or terra-cotta detailing.

High-speed elevators would serve the tower. Courtrooms would occupy higher levels away from the street noise, while offices frequently visited by the public would be situated on lower floors.

Other floors would provide accommodations for the county treasurer, prothonotary, register of wills, and departments requiring substantial vault and records-storage space.

The revised proposal had an obvious advantage: it could significantly reduce the amount of expensive property the county needed to purchase.

Yet this redesign created a new problem.

November 27, 1930: The Judges Reject the Revised Plan

Only a day after the new skyscraper proposal was announced, the Reading Times reported another setback.

The headline declared: “Judges Against Newest Plan for Court House.”

The judges objected because the proposed tower-and-wing arrangement failed to provide courtroom facilities as conveniently located as those in the original Dechant design.

Of particular concern was the relationship between the courtrooms, jury rooms, and judges' chambers.

The original design placed courtroom facilities on approximately the fourth floor, allowing judges and jurors to move conveniently between adjoining spaces.

Architects Fred and Miles Dechant acknowledged that achieving the same arrangement in the newer wing-style design would be difficult.

Commissioner Ringler expressed frustration that the project appeared to have returned to its starting point.

The county was caught between competing requirements. It needed to contain costs, preserve a convenient court layout, and provide sufficient space for county departments.

The first Dechant scheme, which required property valued by its owners at nearly $800,000, was now considered financially impractical.

The commissioners returned to the problem of fitting a workable courthouse onto the existing site.

December 1930: Another Redesign and a New Construction Schedule

By December 1, the county had decided to move forward with a revised skyscraper design at Sixth and Court streets.

The Reading Times reported that the commissioners had acquired an additional parcel measuring 60 by 79 feet from the Berks County Trust Company.

The purchase price was $18,000, approximately $7,000 less than the originally requested amount.

This relatively small acquisition helped make a larger courthouse possible without purchasing the entire block.

William H. Dechant and Sons were instructed to revise their drawings to accommodate the selected site and address the judges' concerns about the location of courtrooms, jury rooms, and retiring rooms.

The newspaper reported that the revised building would be approximately 19 stories high.

Officials anticipated beginning construction in February 1931, although the architects warned that the substantial revisions would delay completion of the plans.

The commissioners also began considering temporary accommodations for county offices and records during construction.

The proposed solution was to build the rear portion first, move the necessary offices into it, and then proceed with construction of the remainder of the courthouse.

This phased-construction approach would allow county government to continue functioning while its headquarters was rebuilt.

January 1931: The Final Skyscraper Design Takes Shape

By January 1931, the project had advanced beyond preliminary architectural sketches.

On January 5, the Reading Times reported that the commissioners had approved a preliminary design for an 18-story skyscraper. The revised building would rise approximately 260 feet above the street.

The estimated cost was approximately $1.7 million.

Unlike the earlier proposals that required extensive land purchases, the new arrangement would take advantage of the existing courthouse property and adjacent land acquired by the county.

The architects expected to have construction drawings completed around March 1, with work beginning during the summer.

The building would have a granite base and upper sections faced with Indiana limestone.

Its architecture would be more consistent with the modern skyscraper designs that were transforming American city skylines during the period.

The county commissioners and judges had finally moved toward a design that satisfied the functional demands of the courts while providing substantial additional office space.

January 9, 1931: What Would Be Inside the New Courthouse?

The January 9 edition of the Reading Times provided one of the most detailed descriptions of the proposed courthouse.

The headline read “Floor Plans Show Division of New Court House Space.”

According to the article, the design included 18 floors, a basement, and a sub-basement.

The architects estimated that the building would contain approximately 116,000 square feet of usable floor space, compared with just 30,800 square feet in the existing courthouse.

That additional room was intended to accommodate county offices scattered throughout rented quarters in downtown Reading.

The floor plans included courtrooms, judges' chambers, jury rooms, county administrative offices, record storage, public meeting rooms, and other facilities.

Among the planned accommodations were separate offices for the three county commissioners, a commissioners' boardroom, facilities for witnesses, a special grand jury room, eight petit jury rooms, a juvenile courtroom, and several law libraries and reading rooms.

The design also included space for public agencies and organizations that had previously occupied accommodations outside the courthouse.

The seventeenth floor was designated for the United States Weather Bureau, then located in the Berks Trust Building. The eighteenth floor would contain a large tank room.

Nearly 11,000 square feet would remain unassigned, allowing for future needs.

The architects reportedly designed the building with the expectation that it might serve the county for at least 50 years, even if the population doubled.

They also considered the possibility of eventually expanding the building to occupy a larger portion of the block bounded by Sixth, Seventh, Court, and Washington streets.

That long-term expansion remained a planning concept rather than an immediate construction commitment.

March 1931: The Drawings Are Completed

By March 10, the commissioners had signed the courthouse plans, according to another Reading Times report.

The drawings were ready to be submitted to the Pennsylvania state art commission for the required review.

County officials planned to seek construction bids following that approval.

After more than a year of competing ideas and repeated revisions, the courthouse had finally advanced to a formal design ready for regulatory approval and construction procurement.

April 1931: The Judges Give Their Approval

The courthouse plans reached another important milestone in April.

On April 13, the Reading Times reported that the judges had approved the final arrangement.

The newspaper described the court's reaction as enthusiastic, particularly regarding the placement and convenience of the court facilities.

Judge Schaeffer indicated that the courtroom arrangement would be “beautiful, efficient and an honor to our county.”

This was a considerable change from November 1930, when the judges had rejected the proposed tower-and-wing arrangement.

The commissioners were also congratulated for their efforts to keep the project's financing from requiring an increase in the county tax rate.

The judicial approval was particularly important because the courts would occupy a substantial portion of the new building, and their objections had previously forced architectural changes.

On April 23, the Reading Times reported that Judges Schaeffer and Mays had signed the formal decree authorizing the courthouse project.

The county had secured the necessary land and established financing arrangements, while arrangements for temporary county offices were being made in preparation for construction.

Bids were scheduled to be opened the following week.

April 29, 1931: The Courthouse Becomes a Construction Project

The April 29 edition of the Reading Times reported the results of the construction bidding.

The newspaper announced that a Philadelphia contractor, McCloskey and Company, had submitted the lowest general construction bid at $1,309,132.

Other reported low bids included Corbit Brothers of Reading for plumbing, at $61,111; Daniel G. Keating of Philadelphia for heating, at $99,725; and Reading Electric Company for electrical work, at $45,000.

The combined low bids were approximately $1.5 million, roughly $200,000 below earlier estimates.

The article described the project as a 17-story building, illustrating how descriptions of the courthouse's height varied among newspaper reports as plans evolved.

Officials anticipated a construction period of approximately 15 months.

The newspaper noted that the specifications included numerous alternatives, allowing the architects and commissioners to make adjustments during the construction process.

The project had finally progressed from competing sketches, land negotiations, and architectural revisions to construction bids.

January 1931: Plans to Move County Offices

Even as architectural planning continued, commissioners had to decide where county government could operate while the old courthouse was torn down and its replacement constructed.

On January 23, 1931, the Reading Times reported that commissioners were considering two possible temporary locations. Commissioner J. H. Blimline argued that vacating the entire courthouse at once would be less expensive than the previously discussed plan of moving offices in stages while contractors worked on different halves of the site. Moving twice, he explained, would add expense and could increase the construction contract price.

Four days later, a January 27 report named the Nogar Building at Fourth and Court streets as a candidate for temporary courthouse operations. A preliminary survey by Dechant and Sons indicated it might accommodate nearly all offices housed inside the old courthouse, provided additional space became available. Negotiations were still pending, so this newspaper report establishes a proposed location, not a confirmed final relocation.

January 27, 1931: Testing the Ground for the Skyscraper

The January 27 report, headed “Dechant Starts Test Borings for New Court House,” also documented early site investigation. Test borings had begun to determine the required depth of the skyscraper’s foundations. The drilling was expected to take approximately ten days.

This was a key transition from architectural concepts to engineering preparations: before the county could erect the tall structure, it needed information about the ground beneath the courthouse site.

September 1931: The Steel Skeleton Reaches Seven Stories

By September 2, the project was visibly rising. The Reading Times reported that 1,400 tons of structural steel—half of a then-reported total of 2,800 tons—had been erected. The steel framework stood seven stories above ground.

Thomas Corcoran, superintendent for the Lehigh Structural Steel Company, described the building under construction as 19 stories high. The article explained that at least half the structural steel could already be installed at only seven stories because the building narrowed above its lower levels into a tower.

At least 125 men were working on the project, and the contractor anticipated hiring another 50 to 75. With the lower framework in place, carpenters, concrete workers, and other trades could begin work on foundations and floors.

October 1931: A 19-Story Courthouse Takes Shape

On October 21, the Reading Times again called the building a 19-story structure and reported that its steel skeleton was nearing completion.

Stone setters were installing the second layer of granite, and the report stated that granite would cover the first three stories. Indiana limestone was to face the remaining 16 stories. Concrete work had reached the ninth story and was approaching the setback where the narrower tower would begin.

The October account reported approximately 2,600 tons of structural steel, 8,000 cubic yards of concrete, and 70,000 cubic feet of stone. The steel figure differed from the 2,800 tons reported in September; these are preserved as the separate contemporary figures rather than treated as identical totals.

Approximately 200 workers were employed on the project. The newspaper cited a contract figure of approximately $1,950,000 and said about $880,000 had been paid to contractors. Project personnel hoped for completion by June 1932, weather permitting, although the eventual public opening came later that year.

December 1932: The New Courthouse Opens

The building that had existed first as competing architectural sketches was finally opened to public inspection in December 1932. On December 1, the Reading Times reported that between 4,000 and 5,000 people toured the new courthouse. Lawyers acted as guides as visitors explored its halls and offices.

The newspaper described the Weather Bureau on the eighteenth floor as being more than 200 feet above Sixth Street. Visitors could not enter every part of the building: the roof and an upper observation gallery were restricted while finishing work continued. Formal dedication ceremonies followed in early December, with the newspaper devoting extensive coverage to the courthouse and its facilities.

The December 3 dedication coverage illustrated the law library, judges’ chambers, Recorder’s Office, building materials, elevators, and the work of the county officials and contractors involved. It also described rooftop weather equipment and mentioned a nineteenth-floor area, providing further contemporary evidence of the completed building’s upper-level arrangement.

Other reports included a count of 401 steps to the top of the courthouse. This number helps convey the scale of the building, but without the actual stair dimensions and endpoints it cannot be converted reliably into an exact architectural height.

The Completed Berks County Courthouse: Building Details

Completed in 1932, the Berks County Courthouse at 633 Court Street, Reading, Pennsylvania, became a defining feature of the city’s skyline. Its Art Deco architecture and rising central tower reflected the movement toward modern civic skyscrapers.

These present-day figures should not be mistaken for measurements independently documented in the 1931–1932 newspaper clippings. The architectural-height figure of 275 feet is widely published, but the reviewed period articles do not identify the exact date on which that height was adopted. The building also has upper mechanical levels above the eighteenth floor, as illustrated by the rooftop-height diagram provided for this article.

Modern height reference: Skyscraper Center.

How Tall Was the Original Courthouse?

The changing descriptions in contemporary newspapers are part of the courthouse’s design history. A June 1930 preliminary concept was described as 17 stories and about 230 feet tall. A January 1931 proposal was described as 18 stories and approximately 260 feet tall. But September and October 1931 articles about the building actually under construction consistently called it a 19-story courthouse.

The clearest historical wording for the completed building is 19 stories, consistent with contemporary construction reports. The upper portions include mechanical space, and those levels should not be presented as additional occupied stories without supporting documentation. The documented proposal height of approximately 260 feet should not be presented as its proven finished height.

How the Plans Changed

The newspaper articles document several significant stages in the courthouse's evolution.

The different story counts do not necessarily represent entirely separate architectural schemes. Some newspaper accounts described full-sized floors, smaller tower stories, or particular phases of the proposed construction. Nevertheless, the repeated changes demonstrate that the building was being redesigned while discussions about land, costs, and courtroom accommodations continued.

A Courthouse Shaped by Compromise

The history of the Berks County Courthouse plans reveals that the building was shaped as much by economics and practical necessities as by architecture.

At various times, county officials considered relocating the courthouse, occupying additional blocks of downtown property, constructing the new building behind the old one, and building a tower with a lower adjoining wing.

Each proposal presented different advantages and difficulties.

The architects wanted sufficient land to accommodate future growth. The commissioners were concerned with limiting expenditures. Judges insisted that courtrooms, jury facilities, and chambers be conveniently arranged. County officials needed a building that could consolidate government offices without interrupting daily operations.

Those demands produced numerous revisions before an acceptable plan emerged.

The transformation from the early monumental courthouse sketches of February 1930 through the completed building of December 1932 reflects a broader change in how public buildings were being conceived.

Rather than merely replacing an aging courthouse with another traditional civic structure, Berks County sought to create a modern government headquarters that could accommodate its growing responsibilities.

The newspaper articles also reveal how close the county came to constructing a noticeably different building.

Had the initial designs been accepted, the courthouse might have featured a different tower arrangement or occupied a much larger section of downtown Reading.

Instead, the decisions made during 1930 and 1931, followed by construction and dedication in 1932, produced one of Reading's most recognizable landmarks.

The building that emerged from the process was the result of more than a year of planning, negotiation, disagreement, and compromise.