Gasconade County Courthouse - Hermann, MO
Posted by: YoSam.
N 38° 42.434 W 091° 26.176
15S E 635966 N 4285449
Old rare, they say, postcard of the courthouse...
Waymark Code: WM12E41
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 05/08/2020
Views: 1
County of site: Gasconade County
Location of site: 1st St., up on hill, Hermann
Text on Postcard:
(front-printed):
Court~House Hermann, Mo.
(front-written):
Greetings from Mr. and Mrs.
John E. Michels
(rear-printed):
No. 563 Hermann Souvenir Post Card Co.,
Hermann, MO. (Germany).
(rear-written):
Mr. John B. Michels
El Paso
Wordford Co.,
Ill.
L07
"The Gasconade County Courthouse was built 1896-98 and was the second courthouse on this site. The earlier courthouse was built in 1842. Hermann was the fourth county seats for Gasconade County with the county seat briefly being in the communities of Gasconade City, Bartonville and Mount Sterling.
"The present courthouse was a gift to the county by a gift to the county from Charles D. Eitzen, a local merchant, who in his will gave $50,000 for construction of a new courthouse. The courthouse is thought to be the only privately funded courthouse in the United States.
"The courthouse was designed by architects J. B. Legg of St. Louis, and A. W. Elsner of Jefferson City in a Neo-Classical style. The original plan called for the courthouse to be built of buff brick with matching terra-cotta trim however initial bids were all too high and the architects modified the plan to use less expensive red brick and white stone trim. The the courthouse house was dedicated May 25, 1898. The courthouse was damaged by fire on February 3, 1905 and was repaired.
"The county continues to used the courthouse as a courthouse house though in recent years some have tried to move the courthouse to a new location." Extension, University of Missouri