Allen County Courthouse (Indiana) facts for kids
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Allen County Courthouse
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Allen County Courthouse
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 Location in Indiana
Location in the United States
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| Location | 715 South Calhoun Street, Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States |
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| 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 |
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| Added to NRHP | May 28, 1976 |
| Designated NHL | July 31, 2003 |
The Allen County Courthouse is a really important building in Fort Wayne, Indiana. It's located right in the center of downtown Fort Wayne. This amazing building was built a long time ago, between 1897 and 1902. It's famous for its beautiful style called Beaux-Arts architecture. Because it's so special, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. It was also named a National Historic Landmark on July 31, 2003.
History of the Courthouse
The courthouse was designed by an architect named Brentwood S. Tolan. Building it started in 1897. The first stone, called the cornerstone, was put in place on November 17, 1897. The building was officially opened on September 23, 1902. It cost about $817,553.59 back then, which would be like $250 million today!
Many important people were there for the opening. This included Mayor Henry C. Berghoff and Governor Winfield T. Durbin. President Theodore Roosevelt was supposed to come, but he couldn't make it. On September 23, 2002, the building was celebrated again for its 100th birthday. This happened after seven years of careful restoration work, which cost $8.6 million.
Amazing Architectural Details
The Allen County Courthouse is built in the Beaux-Arts architecture style. This style is known for being grand and fancy. The building has many cool features inside and out.
Inside, you can see four huge paintings, called murals. They are about 25 by 45 feet (7.6 by 13.7 meters) each. There are also 28 different kinds of scagliola. This is a special material that looks like fancy marble. It covers about 15,000 square feet (1,394 square meters) of the building. You can also find bas-reliefs, which are sculptures that stick out from a flat surface. There's also beautiful art glass. Each of the five courtrooms has its own special color design.
On top of the building, there's a huge dome. It's 255 feet (77.7 meters) high and covered in copper. On top of the dome is a 14-foot (4.3-meter) statue of Lady Liberty. This statue is so big that her feet would wear a women's shoe size of 28!
The building is made from strong materials like Bedford Limestone and Vermont granite. It also has details made from Italian marble. There's even a tunnel that connects the Courthouse to another building across the street. The Courthouse also has a secret fallout shelter underground. This shelter was built to protect people in case of an emergency. The original skylights, which let in natural light, were covered during World War II. They were replaced with electric lights.
Experts have described the courthouse as a mix of Greek, Roman, and Renaissance styles. They say it shows the "exuberant ambition" of America in the late 1800s. This means people back then were very excited and wanted to build big, impressive things.
See also
In Spanish: Allen County Courthouse (Indiana) para niños
