Courthouse Addition - Lafayette County - Lexington, MO
Posted by: YoSam.
N 39° 11.118 W 093° 52.965
15S E 423760 N 4337710
1849 Court house, and 1939 addition...
Waymark Code: WM1180E
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 09/03/2019
Views: 1
County of project: Lafayette County
Location of project: West-Central Missouri, on the National Road (US 24) & Missouri River
Location of courthouse: Main St., between 10th St. & 11th St., Lexington
Elevation: 850'
Population: 4,654 (2013)
"Project type: Civic Facilities, Courthouses (State & Local)
New Deal Agencies: Public Works Administration (PWA)
Completed: 1939
Designers: Artist/Architect: Besecke-Swanson-Terney
Quality of Information: Moderate
Status: Marked
Site Survival: Extant
"The addition to the existing 1849 courthouse was accomplished with an almost seamless continuation of the style of the original. The dental work below the eaves and over-all style was duplicated. This was important to the townspeople because of its historic nature. In the photo of the original courthouse, a cannonball from the Civil War Battle of Lexington remains embedded in the top of the pillar on the left." ~ The Living New Deal
"In 1854 a separate office building was erected on the east lawn
of the courthouse. It was a single story brick building that
reflected the architecture of the main structure in a small
central portico.supported by columns and decorated with engaged
pilasters. At the turn of the century, this building was
remedied into a two story structure, and in 1939 an addition was
constructed on the rear of the building and connected to the
courthouse. At this time the entire exterior of the building
was reworked to copy the Classic Revival style of the court
house and appear as a more integrated part of it." ~ NRHP Nomination Form