Lawrence County Courthouse - Mt. Vernon, Missouri
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iconions
N 37° 06.201 W 093° 49.101
15S E 427284 N 4106650
The Lawrence County Courthouse is located at City Square - Mt. Vernon, Mo.
Waymark Code: WMDEVV
Location: Missouri, United States
Date Posted: 01/05/2012
Views: 5
From the National Register Application:
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The Lawrence County Courthouse is rectangular in plan with the south and north sides measuring 101'8" and the east and west sides measuring 8T2". It is constructed of limestone quarried just north of Mt. Vernon. Originally it was white (the tower remains so), but now the stone has weathered to gray. The cornerstone, placed at the northeast corner, is polished red granite, 20" x 20". Engraved on the stone is the name of the architect, G.E. McDonald, and the latter part of Numbers 32:23 "Be Sure Your Sins Will Find You Out."
The courthouse is an excellent example of Romanesque Revival architecture with its rock-faced stonework and rounded arches. It stands in the center of a 270' square lot in the center of the townsquare. The courthouse not only dominates Mt. Vernon by its massive size and impressive architecture, but it also commands the surrounding countryside with its clock and bell tower surmounted with a statue of Lady Justice that can be seen miles away as Mt. Vernon is situated upon a hill. The grounds of the courthouse are meticulously kept and the landscaping is tastefully conservative.
The elevation of the structure consists of a basement, first and second stories, an attic, and a bell and clock tower. The south facade constitutes the main entrance and is duplicated by the north facade. The east and west facades are identical and are similar to the south and north facades with a few variations.
Each facade is divided into five bays with the central and end bays projecting forward. At each corner of the building where the projecting end bays meet an attached tower is formed. Each of these is topped by a polygonal ogee roof crowned with a finial. The central bays of the north and south facades are topped by pediments and the central bays of the east and west facades are capped by stepped gables. Each gable and pediment constitutes the termination of a gable roof which intersects the clock and bell tower which rises from the central vertical axis of the courthouse. The main roof is gabled with two gablets. The original roofing material (tin) has been replaced by red asbestos shingles except for the east and west gable roofs which are gray. The roof is again in need of repair and there are serious leaks in some second story offices.
The first story on each side of the courthouse is delineated from the basement and second story levels by a course of smoothly dressed limestone which serves as a contrast with the rock-faced stonework. The attic is contained within the pediments, stepped gables, the corner towers, and the bottom level of the bell and clock tower. The tower consists of a base, the center section which is rectangular and houses the bell, and the roof which is a polygonal ogee shape. There are clock faces on all four sides and they are placed at the juncture of the tower proper and its roof. The tower is surmounted by a statue of Lady Justice which was temporarily removed in 1974 for repairs and refinishing. The pediments of the north and south facades also were topped by statues, but neither remains today.