Father Pitt

Why should the beautiful die?

Prothonotary

Prothonotary

When Harry Truman was campaigning in Pittsburgh in 1948, he was introduced to the prothonotary. He replied with the question that was always on everyone’s mind on similar occasions, but that was seldom expressed as straightforwardly as Truman could express it: “What the hell is a prothonotary?”

We never figured out a good answer to that question, so we no longer have a prothonotary. But you can still see the title over this Forbes Avenue side entrance to the City-County Building; and if you go in through that door and explain to the first person you see what a prothonotary was, perhaps you will win a prize. But be aware that an alarm will sound.

Prothonotary entrance
Nikon COOLPIX P100.

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Father Pitt

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2 responses to “Prothonotary”

  1. Anonymous

    We still have a prothonotary. This entrance is no longer used for access to the building.

    Reply
    1. Father Pitt

      As far as old Pa Pitt knows, there is no prothonotary for Allegheny County; the office was eliminated under the new county charter in 2000. “The Department of Court Records, Civil/Family Division, performs the functions previously carried out by the Prothonotary,” says the county site. The Wikipedia article on “Prothonotary” tells us that “Allegheny County’s clerks are consolidated as the Department of Court Records, and there is no longer a Prothonotary in that county.” However, there is a deputy prothonotary for the Pennsylvania Supreme Court based in Pittsburgh.

      Reply

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