Allen County Courthouse (Indiana)

Allen County Courthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. National Historic Landmark
Allen County Courthouse
Location	715 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Coordinates	41°4′47″N 85°8′21″W / 41.07972°N 85.13917°WCoordinates: 41°4′47″N 85°8′21″W / 41.07972°N 85.13917°W
Built	1902
Architect	Brentwood S. Tolan
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts
NRHP Reference #	76000031[1]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	May 28, 1976
Designated NHL	July 31, 2003[2]

The Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne, Indiana is one of 37 United States National Historic Landmarks in the state of Indiana. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2003.

History

Designed by Brentwood S. Tolan, construction began in 1897, the cornerstone was laid November 17, 1897. The building was dedicated September 23, 1902, with a final cost of $817,553.59. On September 23, 2002, the building was re-dedicated on its centennial after a seven-year restoration effort, which cost $8.6 million.^[3]

Architectural details

The Beaux-Arts architecture-style structure includes such features as four 25 by 45-foot (14 m) murals by Charles Holloway, twenty-eight different kinds of scagiola covering 15,000 square feet (1,400 m²), bas-reliefs and art glass. Each of the five court rooms has its own color scheme.

Atop the building is a 255-foot (78 m)-high copper-clad domed rotunda, itself topped by a 14-foot (4.3 m) statue wind vane of Lady Liberty. The larger than life statue has feet that would wear a woman's shoe size of 28.

The building materials include Bedford Limestone and Vermont granite with Italian marble details. A tunnel was constructed to connect the Courthouse with the City-County Building located across the street. The Courthouse also houses a fallout shelter underground. The skylights originally built into the building were covered during World War II and replaced with artificial light.

The 2001 National Historic Landmark Nomination says in its opening paragraph: "An elaborate combination of Greek, Roman, and Renaissance influences, the massive courthouse reflects the exuberant ambition of late nineteenth century America."^[4]

See also

• List of tallest buildings in Fort Wayne

Notes

1. National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
2. "Allen County Courthouse". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Retrieved 2008-07-23.
3. (2002-09-23). Restoration does justice—The finished work awes and amazes visitors. The News-Sentinel. Retrieved on 2009-07-25.
4. Christine Wiltberger; Carolyn Pitts; Patty Henry (May 5, 2001). National Historic Landmark Nomination: Allen County Courthouse (pdf). National Park Service. and Accompanying 52 page of photos and credits, exterior and interior, from 1999 and undated (32 KB)

References

• Hawfield, Michael and Michael Westfall, The Allen County Court House: A National Treasure Restored'. The Allen County Court House Preservation Trust, Guild Press, 2002.

External links