Humboldt County Courthouse — Winnemucca, NV - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

The following information from the National Register files:

The Humboldt County Courthouse, located in the city of Winnemucca, was erected between 1920 and 1921. It was designed by noted Nevada architect Frederick J. DeLongchamps to replace the original county courthouse (1874), which had burned. It occupies the same site as its predecessor and faces Bridge Street.

Designed in 1919, the building was constructed for $150,000. The two-storey structure with full basement is square, with centrally-located pavilions on each elevation. Exterior materials are buff-colored brick and cream-colored terra cotta. After the completion of the Washoe County Courthouse (1910), DeLongchamps rarely used stone again in courthouse architecture, as brick was plentiful and relatively inexpensive. DeLongchamps also used architectural terra cotta extensively, both as detailing and as a building material in his major architectural designs.

DeLongchamps courthouse elevations around the state echo prevalent Beaux-Arts organizational schemes, although he usually emphasized massing manipulation over decorative embellishment to provide texture. Thus, simple unadorned wall surfaces characterize his general approach to this and other forms of public architecture, and is consistent with a philosophy of fiscal conservatism that permeated the state's boom-and-bust economic climate. In Winnemucca, however, the generous budget allowed DeLongchamps to selectively embellish the exterior elevations, and to create what is arguably his most elegant and finished interiors.

The monumental pedimented portico is composed of terra cotta Corinthian columns which support an extensive entablature which circumvents the building. The frieze is plain with the exception of medallions which appear above most of the capitals. Terra cotta capped Corinthian brick pilasters divide the entrance wall into five bays. The entrance itself is narrow and not particularly distinctive. It is identical to the south elevation entrance. Corner windows on the first floor have pedimented surrounds in terra cotta and are the only windows on the entire building so ornamented. Arrangements of brick pilasters identical to those in the main entrance appear on the pavilions of the other elevations.

The interior of the Humboldt County Courthouse is perhaps his finest Classically-inspired interior. Given the availability of square footage, he assembled a finely proportioned and detailed public space extending through two stories. The narrow building entrance leads through an equally narrow hallway to the columned interior hall. A centrally positioned double staircase in marble divides at the landing and extends to either side of the U-shaped gallery. The gallery is supported by square, Classically-decorated structural columns which also appear at the northeast and southeast corners of the gallery.