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Allen County Courthouse (Indiana) facts for kids

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Allen County Courthouse
Cortes del Condado de Allen, Fort Wayne, Indiana, Estados Unidos, 2012-11-12, DD 03.jpg
Allen County Courthouse
Allen County Courthouse (Indiana) is located in Indiana
Allen County Courthouse (Indiana)
Location in Indiana
Allen County Courthouse (Indiana) is located in the United States
Allen County Courthouse (Indiana)
Location in the United States
Location 715 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States
Area about 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built 1902
Architect Brentwood S. Tolan
Architectural style Beaux-Arts
NRHP reference No. 76000031
Quick facts for kids
Significant dates
Added to NRHP May 28, 1976
Designated NHL July 31, 2003

The Allen County Courthouse is located at the block surrounded by Clinton/Calhoun/Main/Berry Streets in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, the county seat of Allen County. Built between 1897 and 1902, it is a nationally significant example of Beaux-Arts architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 31, 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 ($250 million today). Present at its dedication were Mayor Henry C. Berghoff and Governor Winfield T. Durbin. President Theodore Roosevelt was scheduled to attend, however, he ultimately was not present. On September 23, 2002, the building was re-dedicated on its centennial after a seven-year restoration effort, which cost $8.6 million.

Architectural details

The Beaux-Arts architecture-style structure includes such features as four 25-by-45-foot (7.6 m × 13.7 m) murals by Charles Holloway, twenty-eight different kinds of scagliola 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."

See also

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