1938 Lincoln County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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1938 Lincoln County Courthouse
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 Location in Nevada
Location in the United States
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| Location | 1 Main St., Pioche, Nevada |
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| Built | 1938 |
| Architect | Worswick, A. Lacy; Dow, L.F., |
| Architectural style | Art Moderne (PWA Moderne) |
| NRHP reference No. | 02000820 |
| Added to NRHP | July 25, 2002 |
The 1938 Lincoln County Courthouse is a special building in Pioche, Nevada. It was built in a modern style called Art Moderne. This courthouse replaced an older one from 1871, which was known as the "million-dollar courthouse" because it cost so much money to build. Fun fact: the very last payment for that old, expensive courthouse was made in 1938, the same year the new one was being built!
Why a New Courthouse?
In 1937, Lincoln County started making a lot of money from lead and zinc mining. This mining boom lasted through the 1950s and brought in a big part of the county's tax money. The old courthouse was getting old and falling apart, so people wanted a new one.
To pay for it, the county decided to issue bonds in 1937. This is like borrowing money from people, and then paying them back later with a little extra. The county also got a grant of $26,800 from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The PWA was a government program during the Great Depression that helped build public projects and create jobs. This grant covered about 45% of the new courthouse's cost.
Designing the Modern Building
The PWA money came with some rules. One rule was that the design of the new building had to be reviewed carefully. They preferred a modern look. This led to a simple style of Art Deco and Art Moderne architecture becoming known as PWA Moderne.
A.L. Worswick, an architect from Las Vegas, designed the new courthouse in this modern style.
Building the Courthouse
At first, all the bids to build the courthouse were higher than the $60,000 budget. But in 1938, they tried again. This time, L.F. Dow, a builder from Los Angeles and Las Vegas, offered the lowest bid at $49,347.
L.F. Dow finished building the courthouse in 1939. Since then, the building has been used as the county courthouse, a jail, the county sheriff's office, and a state office building. It's been serving the community for many years!
In 2002, the 1938 Lincoln County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's recognized as an important historical building in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Palacio de Justicia del Condado de Lincoln (1938) para niños
