Ambitious Franklin County Courthouse Project Moves Ahead

CHAMBERSBURG, Pa. — Franklin County is moving forward on a sweeping courthouse project that will include a brand-new Franklin County Courthouse and upgrades and expansions to its Historic Courthouse and Administrative Annex.

The overall project is expected to cost $67.7 million, and the county will be working with Noelker & Hull Associates, based in Chambersburg, and Silling Architects, out of Charleston, W.Va., on the architectural end of the project.

The Franklin County court facility improvement project is expected to take about three years to complete — one year to design and bid, and two years for construction.

The focus of the endeavor will be the new Franklin County Courthouse, a new courthouse of more than 118,000 square feet set to house courtrooms, judges’ chambers and supporting staff, detainer holding cells, a secure sallyport, a sheriff’s office, court clerk offices and other related administration services.

Since the last substantial expansion of court facilities in 1979, Franklin County has had a 37 percent population increase and has also added three judges as well as their related support staff.

Noelker and Hull, founded in 1957, is an architectural design, master planning and interior design firm with offices in Chambersburg; Frederick, Md.; and Richmond, Va. Silling Architects is one of the longest-established architectural firms in the eastern U.S., founded in 1902.

This isn’t Noelker and Hull’s first foray into a Franklin County justice facility project; the firm previously worked with the county to transform the one-time Junior Hose Co. 2 Firehouse into divorce and juvenile proceeding hearing rooms. Silling Architects is also an old hand at justice projects, including the recent design of the Delaware County Courthouse in Ohio and the Morgan County Courthouse in West Virginia.