Ralls County Courthouse - 1858 - New London, MO - Dated Architectural Structures Multifarious on Waymarking.com

County of site: Ralls County
Location: N. Main St., courthouse lawn, New London
Architectural Style: Greek Revival
Built: 1858

"Rails County Courthouse, facing west on New London's courthouse square, is designed in the Greek Revival temple-type, with cupola, style. The courthouse is two-storied and T-shaped in plan, the foot of the "T" being the original, 1858 portion of the courthouse and the crossbar the lower, 1936 annex wing. A two-story, tetra-style portico spans the entire width of the west façade of the courthouse. An unusually tall cupola is centered over the west wall, extending westward over half of the portico and eastward to the west edge of the first bay window.

"Rails County Jail-Sheriff's House is a two-story, "T-shaped" lime stone building with a one-story frame addition on the rear, north east corner and a one-story porch attached to the west (front) façade. The crossbar of the "T" is the main (west) section of the building, while the foot is the lower, rear (east) wing.

"Rails County Courthouse is located on the southeast corner of New London's courthouse square (Block 15). (This asymmetrical position is due to the fact that the second courthouse, a brick structure, was still on the square and in use, being vacated room by room as the new courthouse was made ready). 3 The jail-sheriff's house is situated on the northwest corner (Lot 57) of Block 14, directly east of the square. The square is bordered by commercial buildings on the south and west and by private dwellings on the east and north. A church is also located to the east, next to the jail-sheriff's house. Side walks run along the curbs of the east, west, and south sides of Block 15 and lead to the courthouse's east, west, and south doors. A fourth sidewalk, running from the south curb to the portico, intersects the west sidewalk leading to the main entrance." ~ NRHP Nomination Form