Passaic County rededicates historic courthouse after $11.2M restoration
Passaic County. Passaic County officials rededicated the Historic Passaic County Court House on Sept. 28 following an $11.2 million restoration project.
U.S /
| 29 Sep 2026 | 11:08
Sheriff Thomas Adamo, Passaic County Commissioner Nick Veliky, Passaic County Commissioner Deputy-Director Orlando Cruz, Congresswoman Nellie Pou, Passaic County Commissioner Director Sandi Lazzara, Chief Justice Stuart Rabner, Judge Michael Blee, Assignment Judge Rudolph Filko, retired Assignment Judge Ernest Caposela and Passaic County Surrogate Zoila Cassanova. (
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View of the newly coated dome with new windows and new balustrade. (
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Passaic County officials rededicated the Historic Passaic County Court House on Monday following an $11.2 million restoration project aimed at preserving the building’s historic features and improving accessibility.
The Passaic County Board of County Commissioners joined leaders of the Passaic County Vicinage, the New Jersey Supreme Court and U.S. Rep. Nellie Pou at the rededication ceremony.
“This building has stood at the center of Passaic County life for more than 120 years and generations of residents have climbed the steps into the building for the most consequential moments of their lives,” Commissioner Director Sandi Lazzara said. “Our job was to make sure it stands another 120.”
The restoration included repairs to the building’s copper dome and cupola, repointing masonry, refinishing exterior surfaces and balustrades, reopening the original rear portico and Clark Street entrance, and restoring historic architectural features. The Clark Street entrance is expected to reopen soon.
The county funded the project through a bond ordinance supported by the Passaic County Open Space, Farmland and Historic Preservation Trust Fund, along with a $2.25 million grant from the New Jersey Historic Trust.
HMR Architects led the design team, with Joseph A. Natoli Construction serving as contractor under a Passaic County Project Labor Agreement.
“Justice is not an abstraction here. It happens in these rooms, every day, for the people of Passaic County,” Passaic Vicinage Assignment Judge Rudolph A. Filko said.
Filko said the building’s appearance contributes to how the public experiences the courts and credited the county for completing the restoration without interrupting court operations.
The courthouse was commissioned by the Board of County Commissioners in 1895, designed by architect Samuel Burrage Reed and completed in 1903. Reed was selected through a public architectural competition.
The building was designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, with its copper dome modeled after Michelangelo’s dome of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
The courthouse is listed on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places as part of the Passaic County Court House historic district.
