Pershing County Courthouse - Lovelock, NV
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N 40° 10.852 W 118° 28.593
11T E 374292 N 4448877
Located in the town of Lovelock along I-80 in Northern Nevada.
The Pershing County Courthouse sits in amongst large trees and picnic benches in the center of town. One of only two round courthouses in the nation.
Tours are avaliable.
Waymark Code: WMA2BC
Location: Nevada, United States
Date Posted: 11/05/2010
Views: 15
The Pershing County Courthouse was designed in the architectural style of the late 19th century with it's six ionic columns and circular domed roof in the center block of the building. The 'Classical Revival' style predominated in America in the early 20th century.
The designer, Frederic J. DeLongchamps, was a renown Nevada Architect. He was responsible for several Nevada courthouse designs as well as schools, the legislative wings at the Nevada State Capitol in Carson City and buildings on the campus of the University of Nevada, Reno.
Excerpt from On Line Nevada
"Pershing County was carved out of Humboldt County's southern region after arguments over public funds necessitated a division of the territory. The state legislature created Nevada's seventeenth county in 1919 and designated Lovelock as the county seat. The county was named after General John J. "Blackjack" Pershing, a WWI hero.
A long standing rivalry with Humboldt County inspired Pershing County commissioners to build a monumental courthouse that would surpass any government symbol their northern neighbor could erect. In 1920, officials hired Frederick J. DeLongchamps, an esteemed architect responsible for several Nevada courthouse designs. They selected Howard S. Williams of San Francisco for the construction, and Jacob C. Meyer of Reno to supply the heating and plumbing.
Finished on June 20, 1921, the 16,000 square foot, single-story structure cost $99,138.68. It occupies two acres of land at the end of Lovelock's central commercial district. The circle-hexagon contour of the building takes its inspiration from Thomas Jefferson's library at the University of Virginia, itself referring to the Roman Pantheon. Designed in a popular neoclassical style, its shape is unique among the nation's historic county courthouses.
Six Ionic columns in terra cotta support a full pedimented portico over the entrance. The interior contains an unusual layout of a central circular courtroom surrounded by offices for county officials and employees. A cartouche with ornamental pilasters on either side decorates the wall behind the judge's bench."
Street address:
400 Main St.
Lovelock, NV USA
89419
County / Borough / Parish: Pershing
Year listed: 1986
Historic (Areas of) Significance: Event, Architecture/Engineering
Periods of significance: 1900-1924
Historic function: Government
Current function: Government
Privately owned?: no
Hours of operation: From: 10:00 AM To: 4:00 PM
Primary Web Site: [Web Link]
Secondary Website 1: [Web Link]
Season start / Season finish: Not listed
Secondary Website 2: Not listed
National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
Please give the date and brief account of your visit. Include any additional observations or information that you may have, particularly about the current condition of the site. Additional photos are highly encouraged, but not mandatory.