Allen County Courthouse (Indiana)
Allen County Courthouse | |
 Allen County Courthouse | |
   | |
| Location | 715 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 41°4′47″N 85°8′21″W / 41.07972°N 85.13917°W |
| Area | about 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1902 |
| Architect | Brentwood S. Tolan |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000031[1] |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | May 28, 1976 |
| Designated NHL | July 31, 2003[2] |
The Allen County Courthouse is located on Calhoun Street in the heart of Fort Wayne, Indiana, the county seat of Allen County. Built between 1897 and 1902, it is a nationally significant example of Beaux-Arts architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.
History
Designed by Brentwood S. Tolan, construction began in 1897, the cornerstone was laid November 17, 1897. The building was dedicated September 23, 1902, with a final cost of $817,553.59. On September 23, 2002, the building was re-dedicated on its centennial after a seven-year restoration effort, which cost $8.6 million.[3]
Architectural details
The Beaux-Arts architecture-style structure includes such features as four 25-by-45-foot (7.6 m × 13.7 m) murals by Charles Holloway, twenty-eight different kinds of scagiola covering 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2), bas-reliefs and art glass. Each of the five court rooms has its own color scheme.
Atop the building is a 255-foot (78 m)-high copper-clad domed rotunda, itself topped by a 14-foot (4.3 m) statue wind vane of Lady Liberty. The larger than life statue has feet that would wear a woman's shoe size of 28.[citation needed]
The building materials include Bedford Limestone and Vermont granite with Italian marble details. A tunnel was constructed to connect the Courthouse with the City-County Building located across the street. The Courthouse also houses a fallout shelter underground. The skylights originally built into the building were covered during World War II and replaced with artificial light.[citation needed]
The 2001 National Historic Landmark Nomination says in its opening paragraph: "An elaborate combination of Greek, Roman, and Renaissance influences, the massive courthouse reflects the exuberant ambition of late nineteenth century America."[4]
See also
Notes
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "Allen County Courthouse". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
- ^ (2002-09-23). Restoration does justice—The finished work awes and amazes visitors. The News-Sentinel. Retrieved on 2009-07-25.
- ^ Christine Wiltberger; Carolyn Pitts; Patty Henry (May 5, 2001). National Historic Landmark Nomination: Allen County Courthouse (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 52 page of photos and credits, exterior and interior, from 1999 and undated (32 KB)
References
- Hawfield, Michael and Michael Westfall, The Allen County Court House: A National Treasure Restored'. The Allen County Court House Preservation Trust, Guild Press, 2002.
External links
- National Historic Landmarks in Indiana
- County courthouses in Indiana
- Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Indiana
- National Register of Historic Places in Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Government buildings completed in 1902
- Buildings and structures in Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Government of Fort Wayne, Indiana
- Clock towers in Indiana
- 1902 establishments in Indiana
- Stone buildings