Buchanan County Courthouse - St. Joseph, Missouri - Wikipedia Entries on Waymarking.com

Buchanan County Courthouse is a cruciform, Renaissance Revival-style building, with embellishments in the Romano-Tuscan mode, as seen primarily in the window treatment. Pedimented porticoes in the Corinthian order lend dignity and prominence to the building, while lessening the severity normally associated with Romano-Tuscan detailing. The window proportions show the influence of Victorian taste for verticality. A dome surmounts the courthouse at the intersection of the wings.

EXTERIOR
Over-all dimensions
The courthouse has north and south frontages of 218 3/4 feet, and east and west frontages of 200 feet.

South wing.
The south wing is rectangular in plan. There are five bays (56 1/2 feet) on the south, east, and west facades of this wing.

East wing.
The east wing is T-shaped in plan. The east facade is eleven bays (121' 10 1/2") wide, the south facades are four bays (40' 2 1/2") each, and the southernmost section of the west facade (which is the wall between the south facades) is three bays (28' 1 1/2") wide.

West wing.
The west wing is also T-shaped and follows the same proportions as the east wing (except for the addition of a fireproof chamber at the basement, first,and second story levels on the northern portion of the east facade); eleven bays (118 2/3 feet) on the west facade, four bays (40' 2 1/2") on the south facades, three bays (53' 1 1/2") on the westernmost section of the north facade, three bays (28' 1 1/2") on the northernmost section of the east facade, and three bays (26 feet) on the southern section of the east facade.

North wing.
The north wing is L-shaped with a three-sided projecting bay on the southern section of the west facade. The northwest and southwest facades of this projection measure 12 1/2 feet each (one bay), and the central wall measures 15' 1 1/2" (also a single bay). The north facade is eight bays (90' 7 1/2"), the northern section of the west facade is four bays (40' 2 1/2"), the south facade is four bays (38 1/2 feet), and the east facade is an undetermined number of bays (78 1/2 feet).

Construction materials
The courthouse is constructed of red brick walls, painted white; stone columns, window trim, and decorative details; and a glass and tin dome. The foundations are built of stone ashlar with a rough texture. Wood has been used on the doors and the moldings between the window lights.

Porticoes
There are three identical porticoes, one dominating each of the main east, west, and south facades. Each portico has four, tall, well-proportioned, fluted, Corinthian columns. (The column capitals were carved by a local stone cutting company, J. Pfeiffer & Sop). Each column rests on a massive, block base. The pediment and entablature, which are supported by the columns, are simple with their only detailing being modillions and dentils. The triangular space of the pediment is filled with brick to match the wall surface of the courthouse.

Openings
Windows.
The fenestration pattern is identical on all the floors of the courthouse, one-window-per-bay. Due to the sloping terrain on which the courthouse is located, the basement windows are not continuous around the entire building, having been omitted on the north facade and the north end of the east wing. All but seven of these windows are rectangular and have two-over-two light, double-hung sashes and a smooth stone lintel over them. The seven remaining windows, which are on the south ends of the east and west wings, are round-arched and ornamented with a stone molding and centered keystone. Four, small, three-over-three light, double-hung sash windows are located on the west facade of the north wing. Three similar windows are on the south side of the same wing and are inserted into shallow window wells.

The first story windows are tall, slender, and rectangular in shape. Each window, except for those on the north, south, and northernmost west facades of the north wing,-has a two-over-two light, double-hung sash. The remaining window openings are filled with small, square, glass blocks. The only ornamentation is the alternating segmental and pedimented arches over the windows. These arches are found on the south, west, and east wings only, the north wing being an exception, having only a raised brick molding with a centered keystone over each window.

All the second story windows, except for the eight on the north facade and the two northernmost windows on the west facade of the north wing, are round-arched and have two-over-two light, double-hung sashes. Each has a centered keystone and imposts at the spring of the arch. The ten remaining north wing windows are similar in shape and ornament to the other second story windows, but are filled with the same small,square, glass blocks that are found on the first story windows.

Doorways and doors.
The three main entrances into the courthouse are centered on the west, south, and east facades under the porticoes. Each entrance spans the width of three bays and is made up of three separate openings (one- per-bay), each filled with a set of double, half glass, half wood doors. Over the doorway is a horizontal, two-light transom and a fanlight with circular moldings. Framing each doorway are pilasters supporting an arched molding with centered keystone.

All secondary entrances are on the basement level except for the north (or rear) entrance which is on the first story level. These entrances are one door wide and give access to the offices located in the basement.

The north entrance is similar to the main entrances in design, but not in size, having been reduced to one bay in width. The central, south basement doorway is identical to the rear doorway, but has no transom and fanlight sections over it.

Dome
A three-stage dome is centered over the intersection of the four wings. The wooden base is octagonal in plan with bull's eye windows on alternating sides. The tin second stage is cylindrical, forming a transition between the base and the domical third stage. Eight, decorative, tin, inverted bracket-like features are attached to this section at the points corresponding with the junctures of each side of the base. The dome has eight ribs corresponding in placement with the location of the bracket-like features. The spaces between the ribs are filled with small, rectangular panes of translucent glass with a molding framing each pane. A lantern tops the dome.