Johnson County Courthouse - Warrensburg, Missouri
Posted by: 
BruceS
N 38° 45.910 W 093° 44.437
15S E 435656 N 4290977
Quick Description: County courthouse located in Warrensburg, Missouri
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 5/20/2007 10:15:19 AM
Waymark Code: WM1JHR
Views: 210
Long Description:
This building is the third courthouse for Johnson County. The first
built between 1838 and 1842 remains standing and also listed on the
National Register and is part of the county Historical Society
museum complex. The second was located at the same site as the
current courthouse and was a small frame building built in 1867.
Many residents were not happy with the small frame building serving
as the courthouse. In 1894, according to legend, a group of young
men took a cannon from the courthouse lawn, filled it with
gunpowder, pieces of iron and iron chains and fired it at the
building. The building was nearly completely destroyed by the blast
and the new courthouse building was completed three years later.
The Johnson County Courthouse was completed in 1898 and is
constructed of locally quarried limestone. The courthouse is the
oldest of Missouri the four Missouri courthouses designed by Omaha
architect George E. McDonald. The courthouse is in a Richardsonian
Romanesque style, as shown by its massive, rough-textured stone
exterior and round arch entrances and window. The building was
constructed for $50,585. The statue on top of the building is
Minerva also known as the Goddess of Wisdom. The building remains
the center of government for Johnson County however the courts have
recently relocated to building across the street..
Located on the grounds of the courthouse is the Old Drum
Memorial with the "Eulogy to the Dog".
