Montgomery County Courthouse

The semi-custom pendant and sconce, designed by Schooley Caldwell and Jeff Wray Architects, were created for the Courthouse reflect the Greek Revival aesthetic exemplified by the building’s original architecture.

Dayton’s Old Montgomery County Courthouse was built in 1847, and modeled on the Temple of Hephaestus (ca. 5th century BC) in Athens, Greece. It is recognized as one of the best surviving examples of Greek Revival architecture in the United States, and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places.

In 2004, Crenshaw was commissioned to create an eight-arm pendant, and two arm sconce for the restoration of the Courthouse. The pendant chandelier is constructed of solid brass and conforms to the restrained classical aesthetic of the building’s architecture. Ornamentation is limited to small cast faux gas keys, delicate leaf motif glass fitters, cast rope braid suspension stem, and a clear etched Greek key design for the open top glass shades. The two-arm sconce is similarly treated. The pendant brings additional lighting to a series of meeting rooms, and the sconce lines the rotunda in the courtroom. Both were conceived as semi-custom fixtures which would approximate the period style but still conform to the relatively modest budgets set for the project.

The Old Courthouse, which is no longer home to a court of law, has been preserved as a public resource and made available for many kinds of public and private events.