Delaware County, Pa. - For more than 140 years, the Delaware County Courthouse in Media has been a beloved structure. A recently completed renovation has put a new face on the courtrooms while preserving the building's historic elements.

Built in 1851, the courthouse consisted of a single courtroom. Since that time, the structure has been expanded and altered four times to allow room for more people and cases as well as for electronic and security equipment.

The renovation project, which began in October 1995, cost $650,000, and included new paint, carpet and window treatments in the courtrooms. The original wall sconces and chandeliers were rewired, cleaned and polished, and the original 1850 gas light fixtures also were cleaned. The carved hardwood judges'benches and jury boxes were cleaned, repaired and re-finished.

Local architects Baggot & Bak selected six to eight paint colors for most of the rooms, coordinating with the carpets and furnishings. "We used paint to highlight the very intricate detailing of the frieze work in all the rooms," says architect Sandra Baggot.

The paint contractor, Painting Unlimited, Philadelphia, worked with the architects, who created drawings showing the painted elements with their designated colors. Painters completed a sample in each room, which the architects reviewed and approved before the painters proceeded with the rest of the room.

One area that needed special attention was a room with the Pennsylvania state seal. "The court was very particular about the colors in the seal, since it must be represented accurately," says Joe Dougherty, paint superintendent for the company.

The renovation project was completed in May 1996. The architects worked on a rotating schedule, completing two courtrooms each month while others remained open for regular use.