Allen County Courthouse (Indiana)

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Allen County Courthouse
Cortes del Condado de Allen, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Estados Unidos, 2012-11-12, DD 03.jpg
Allen County Courthouse
Allen County Courthouse (Indiana) is located in Indiana
Allen County Courthouse (Indiana)
Location715 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Coordinates41°4′47″N 85°8′21″W / 41.07972°N 85.13917°W / 41.07972; -85.13917Coordinates: 41°4′47″N 85°8′21″W / 41.07972°N 85.13917°W / 41.07972; -85.13917
Areaabout 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built1902
ArchitectBrentwood S. Tolan
Architectural styleBeaux-Arts
NRHP reference No.76000031[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHPMay 28, 1976
Designated NHLJuly 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[]

  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
  2. ^ "Allen County Courthouse". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2012-10-08. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
  3. ^ (2002-09-23). Restoration does justice—The finished work awes and amazes visitors. The News-Sentinel. Retrieved on 2009-07-25.
  4. ^ 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[]

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