Milwaukee County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Milwaukee County Courthouse
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Milwaukee County Courthouse from MacArthur Square
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| Location | 901 North 9th Street Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
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| Architect | Albert Randolph Ross |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| MPS | County Courthouses of Wisconsin TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000687 |
| Added to NRHP | March 9, 1982 |
The Milwaukee County Courthouse is a tall government building in downtown Milwaukee, Wisconsin. It was finished in 1931. This building is the third courthouse for Milwaukee County. It is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's an important historical site. The first two courthouses were located where Cathedral Square Park is today, on the east side of the Milwaukee River.
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About the Milwaukee County Courthouse
The courthouse stands on top of a hill. This impressive building has eleven stories and is about 174 feet (54 meters) tall. It was designed in a Neoclassical style. This style often uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings.
Who Designed the Courthouse?
A famous architect named Albert Randolph Ross from New York designed the building. His design was chosen in a competition in 1927. Many architects from all over the country took part. The building is covered in a light-colored stone called Bedford limestone. It also has beautiful Beaux-Arts details. You can see sculptures of owls and lion heads on its outside walls.
A Grand Building
Many people think the Milwaukee County Courthouse is one of the most magnificent courthouses in the United States. It was even called "the most monumental of all Neoclassical courthouses in the state" when it was nominated for the National Register of Historic Places. However, a famous architect named Frank Lloyd Wright once jokingly called it a "million dollar rockpile."
The Area Around the Courthouse
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The Milwaukee County Courthouse is part of a larger public area. This area includes the nearby Milwaukee Public Museum and the Central Library. There are also other government buildings stretching east along Wells Street to the Milwaukee City Hall.
MacArthur Square
On the east side of the courthouse, there is a public space called MacArthur Square. It was named in 1945 after General Douglas MacArthur. He went to high school in Milwaukee. A parking garage was built under the square in 1967. At the bottom of the building, you can find the India-America Friendship Park. There is also a statue honoring Mahatma Gandhi there.
Other Nearby Buildings and Parks
Just north of the courthouse is the Milwaukee County Safety Building. This building helps keep the community safe. On the south side of the courthouse, you'll find Clas Park. This park is named after Alfred Clas, a local architect. There's also the Kilbourn Tunnel. This tunnel connects to I-43 and runs under the courthouse area.
The Courthouse Annex and Whale Mural
The Milwaukee County Courthouse Annex was a building next to the main courthouse. It was a five-story parking garage with some offices. It was built in the 1960s and stretched over three lanes of Interstate 43.
The "Whale Commuters" Mural
On the north side of the Annex, there was a huge mural called "Whale Commuters." It was painted by artist Robert Wyland. He is famous for painting large whale murals around the world. This mural was dedicated in 1997.
Demolition of the Annex
The Annex building was taken down in 2006 as part of a highway reconstruction project. Before it was demolished, a small part of the "Whale Commuters" mural was carefully removed. This section showed an adult and baby dolphin. In 2007, this dolphin section and Wyland's signature were placed near the Kilbourn Tunnel. This way, a piece of the famous mural could still be seen.
See also
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- MacArthur sculpture
- Gandhi sculpture
- The Spirit of Polonia sculpture
