Taunton Courthouse
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Bristol County Courthouse Complex
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Superior Courthouse, 2008
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| Location | 9, 11, 15 Court St. Taunton, Massachusetts |
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| Coordinates | 41°54′52″N 71°05′33″W / 41.9145°N 71.0925°WCoordinates: 41°54′52″N 71°05′33″W / 41.9145°N 71.0925°W |
| Area | 13 acres (5 ha) |
| Built | 1826, 1894, 1904 |
| Architect | Frank Irving Cooper, Albion Marble |
| NRHP reference # | 78000427 |
| Added to NRHP | March 28, 1978 |
The Bristol County Courthouse Complex Historic District contains three historic buildings located along Court Street in Taunton, Massachusetts, including the Bristol County Superior Courthouse, the Bristol County Registry of Deeds and the former First District Courthouse. The city’s Korean War and World War II Memorials are also located on the lawn in front of the superior courthouse. The Bristol County Courthouse Complex directly abuts the Taunton Green Historic District, the City's central square.
In 2008, an $86 million expansion and renovation project began at the site which is scheduled to include the construction of a new trial court and restoration of the superior courthouse.
The Bristol County Superior Courthouse was designed by architect Frank Irving Cooper from nearby Bridgewater and built in 1894 in the Romanesque-style. The stone structure contains a 170-foot (52 m) tall central tower capped with a copper dome. The building's large hip roof is also entirely clad in copper. The superior courthouse is the fourth courthouse to be located on or near this site since 1747, when Taunton became the shire town (county seat) for Bristol County, Massachusetts, after Bristol was split off from the Bay State and became part of Rhode Island.
The dome was originally topped with a 15-foot copper flame, which was taken down in 2003 after being deemed a "potential hazard." Despite some calls to restore it, the 300-pound torch remains in storage as of 2015.
Since 2013, the courthouse has been home to a pair of nesting peregrine falcons.
Bristol County, Massachusetts also contains historic superior courthouses in Fall River and New Bedford.
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