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Washington County Courthouse
Built: 1889-1891
Located: 16th St. between Colfax and South Streets Block 75, Original Town Plat
Noted architectural specimen as a government building.
This Property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Timeline
- 1855 Fort Calhoun designated as as the county-seat
- 1858 Mop took county seat to DeSoto
- 1866 County Seat returned to Fort Calhoun
- 1869 County Seat moved to Blair
- 1889 Courthouse started
- 1891 Courthouse Completed
Related Links
- History by Nancy Gabby
- County Seat by Frank McNeely
- County Seat Affairs by Daniel M. Carr
- Soldier’s Memorial Monument
Washington County was among the earliest formed in Nebraska, having been established in 1854. Desoto and Fort Calhoun were the first county seats but in 1869 it was assigned to Blair. A 40×40-foot square brick building that had been designed as a school was first used. Twenty years later, amidst controversy over the need for a new courthouse the vote was 126 to 874 in favor of floating a $35,000 bond issue for the new construction.
Work began in 1889 under the direction of architect O.H. Placey and a Romanesque Revival-style design was selected. The builder was Richards and Company. They constructed the footings and foundations of limestone and the walls were laid up of St. Louis pressed brick with trim of Warrensburg Stone. There was considerable controversy during the construction. Some of the work was rejected and replaced and the architect resigned. Finally in 1891 the work was completed.
Numerous face lifts and improvements were made to the building beginning in 1936 with a $10,000 renovation by the WPA. The Treasurer’s office, the court room and the 3rd floor all have been remodeled. In 1995 a new addition and a complete renovation of the old building was dedicated.
Note of Interest
Other Courthouses built by O.H. Placey include:
• York County Courthouse, in York, Nebraska – Built 1886-1888 – demolished in 1978
• Adams County Courthouse, in Quincy, Illinois – Built 1876 – destroyed by a tornado 1945 (source)
Romanesque Revival Architecture
IDENTIFYING FEATURES: Round arches over windows and/or entryways; thick, cavernous entryways and window openings; thick masonry walls, rounded towers with conical roof; facades are asymmetrical; variable stone and brick façade. On elaborate examples, polychromatic facades with contrasting building materials.
First County Court House at De Soto
Log Structure – Scan of screen print in the Book Men & Women of Nebraska: A Book of Portraits, Washington Co. Edition, 1903, Edited by Daniel M. Carr/Catalog No. WCH-0001
Grant Street Court House
In 1869 the County Seat was moved from Fort Calhoun to Blair. This brick structure, located at the corner of 19th & Grant Streets was built to be used as a school house but was purchased by the county to service as a Court House. In the late 1880’s began a movement to built a new court house. The Grant Street Court House was made to look more dilapidated that it really was by attaching props that appeared to hold the building up. Scan of Screen Print in Book Men & Women of Nebraska: A Book of Portraits, Washington Co. Edition, 1903, Edited by Daniel M. Carr/Catalog No. WCH-0011
Grant Street Courthouse
Proof print from screened print block from the Kenneth & Virginia Rhoades Collection Scanned 2008/Catalog No. WCH0011a
1878 Plat Map
The location of the old county court house in Blair was in the Northwest corner lot of bock 63 — on the corner of Grant and Third Streets (present day Grant & 19th Streets).
1894 Plat Map
According to the 1894 Plat Map, the location of the old Court House in Blair was on the corner of Grant and Third Streets (present day Grant & 19th Streets). The site for the present day Courthouse (which was building in 1889) was lists as “Jail Square.”
Washington County Court House & Soldiers Monument
View towards the south east at the corner of Colfax Street and Walker Avenue (16th Street) (Same view at Color tinted screen photos postcard/WCH-0007. Real Photo Postcard Nathan Kramer Collection/Catalog No. WCH-0004 Published in the Historic Picture Calendar March 1997
Washington County Court House & Solder’s Monument
View towards the south east at the corner of Colfax Street and Walker Avenue (16th Street – Same view at Black & White postcard WCH-0004) Color Tinted Screened Photo Postcard Nathan Kramer Collection./Catalog No. WCH-0007
Washington County Court House & Solder’s Monument
View towards the South east at the corner of Colfax Street and Walker Avenue (16th Street). Half-tone Photo Post Card from the Nathan Kramer Collection./Catalog No. WCH-0009
Washington County Court House
Original Real Photo Post Card from the Nathan Kramer Collection/Catalog No. WCH-0005 – Published in the September 2005 Historic Picture Calendar.
Washington County Court House
View towards the north east at the corner of South Street and Walker Avenue (16th Street) Scan – Historic Picture Calendar April 1999/Catalog No. WCH-0008
Washington County Courthouse
View towards the north east at the corner of South Street and Walker Avenue (16th Street). Color Screen Photo Postcard – Unknown Internet Scan/Catalog No. WCH-0010
Washington County Courthouse
View towards the south east from Colfax & 16th Streets – Real Photo Post Card – Unknown Scan/Catalog No. WCH-0003
Featured Pictures
Archive Links
BHPA Links
Blair Historic Preservation Alliance | P.O. Box 94 | Blair, Nebraska 68008 | contact@blairhistory.com