Maryland Administrative Office of the Courts issued the following announcement on June 14.
The new courthouse for the Circuit Court for Queen Anne’s County is scheduled to open to the public on Monday, June 17.
Anyone doing business with the circuit court, including court appearances, jury duty, administrative services, family services, and all other functions and services associated with the clerk of court, should report to the new courthouse, located at 200 North Commerce Street in Centreville.
“The new courthouse brings Queen Anne’s County into the 21st century and provides increased security and ADA compliance, as well as additional courtrooms and space for services and staff,” said County Administrative Judge Thomas G. Ross, Second Judicial Circuit.
The current courthouse, located across the street at 100 Courthouse Square in Centreville, will not be used for regular court business after the close of business on Friday, June 14. The closing of the historic building marks the end of 224 years of service to the citizens of Queen Anne’s County. Built during George Washington’s first term as president, it is the oldest courthouse in continuous use in the state of Maryland and one of the oldest courthouses in continuous operation in the country.
“When a courthouse is to be built in a county with the rich historic setting that characterizes Centreville and Queen Anne’s County, additional care and thought must be taken to honor the history and to serve the needs of the people of this county today, tomorrow, and well into the future,” said Maryland Court of Appeals Chief Judge Mary Ellen Barbera. “This new courthouse does exactly that.”
The new courthouse is the state’s first all-electronic court, which means it will operate under the Maryland Electronic Courts system, also known as MDEC. It will also feature CourtSmart, an electronic recording equipment system.
“We’ve gone from being the oldest to the newest courthouse in the state of Maryland,” said Queen Anne’s County Clerk of Circuit Court Katherine Hager. “While we will miss the charm and character of our historic courthouse, we look forward to serving the citizens in a 21st century courthouse allowing us to provide improved access to justice for all.”
Normal hours of operation at the new courthouse will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. The phone numbers used for the historic courthouse will be retained; you may reach the clerk of court at 410-758-1773.
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