Old McDonald County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Old McDonald County Courthouse
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North elevation and west profile in 2010.
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 Old McDonald County Courthouse
Location in Missouri
Old McDonald County Courthouse
Location in the United States
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| Location | 400 N. Main Street, Pineville, Missouri |
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| Built | 1869-1871 |
| Architect | Z. P. Cogswell |
| Architectural style | American Foursquare |
| NRHP reference No. | 12000251 |
| Added to NRHP | May 1, 2012 |
The Old McDonald County Courthouse is a historic building in Pineville, Missouri. It's located at 400 N. Main Street. This building was the main courthouse for McDonald County, Missouri from 1871 until 1978.
Today, it's a museum run by the McDonald County Historical Society. The building was carefully fixed up between 2010 and 2015. It's built in a style called American Foursquare. You might even recognize it from the 1939 movie Jesse James! In the movie, Tyrone Power played Jesse James and Henry Fonda played his brother, Frank James. This courthouse is one of three places in McDonald County listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The main part of the building has two stories. Its outside walls are covered in stucco, which was added in 1943. This stucco covers thick walls made of soft, local bricks. Many of these bricks were saved from an older courthouse that stood here before. The building sits on a strong stone base. Its roof is sloped, with small windows called dormers. You can also see many original double-hung windows. A small, one-story section was added to the south side in 1943. This addition helped protect the soft bricks from getting damaged.
Contents
Early Courthouses
McDonald County was formed in 1849. Two towns, Rutledge and Maryville (now Pineville), wanted to be the county seat. This competition was so strong that three people died in a fight in 1850! So, from 1849 to 1857, the county had two courthouses. One was a log building in Rutledge. The other was in Maryville.
Finally, the Missouri General Assembly chose Pineville as the official county seat.
1858 Courthouse
The first courthouse in Pineville was built in 1858-1859. It was a one-story wooden building. It measured 30 feet by 30 feet. This building stood at the corner of Third and Main streets. Later, a stable was built on this spot.
1861 Courthouse
The second courthouse was a three-story brick building. It was built in 1861. This building was located where the Old McDonald County Courthouse stands today. The top floor was meant for the Freemasons. However, their main meeting room was never used. The smaller room on the third floor was rented out for county offices.
During the American Civil War, McDonald County was a difficult place. People were split between supporting the Union and the Confederacy. This led to groups of "bushwhackers" in the area. In 1863, bushwhackers led by Bill Hinson burned down the courthouse. Most of the county's important records were destroyed. Only a few records were saved by County Clerk Absolem Applebee Hensley.
Building the Current Courthouse
After the 1861 courthouse burned, the county had no permanent courthouse for three years. In 1866, the court decided to rent rooms for county use. They also sold the bricks from the old courthouse.
Zelats P. Cogswell, an architect, designed the plans for a new courthouse in 1869. His design was an early example of the American Foursquare style. This style is known for its boxy, balanced look. In December 1869, Willis R. Cox and Zachariah Smith won the bid to build the new courthouse. They offered to build it for $4,949.50.
Construction began in 1870. The building was made of brick and measured about 42 by 48 feet. Some bricks from the old 1861 courthouse were used. New materials included strong oak wood for the roof and floors. Soft, locally made bricks were also used. The county accepted the finished building on June 3, 1871.
The building's construction was partly paid for by special bonds. In 1981, a man named George Foster found one of these bonds. It was dated June 19, 1871, and was worth $100. It also promised 10 percent interest each year. After 110 years, the bond's value was estimated at over $3.5 million! The county court decided not to pay it. They said the bond could be paid "at the pleasure of the county court." Other people also found similar bonds, but the county rejected all of them.
Inside the Original Building
When it was first built, the courthouse had four rooms downstairs. These rooms were used for county offices. A large courtroom was located upstairs. There might have been a small area for prisoners at the top of an outside staircase. The main hallway had double doors with glass panels above them. The upstairs courtroom was reached by an outside staircase on the east side.
The inside of the building was simple. It had pine wood floors and plastered brick walls. The ceilings were made of rough wood. This simple look showed how basic life was in McDonald County at that time.
Changes and Updates
Over the years, the courthouse was changed many times. These changes made it bigger and more modern.
1905 Addition
In 1905, the county added a section to the east side of the building. This addition cost $1,500. It was built to hold vaults for storing important records. This new part was made of brick, just like the original building. It made the courthouse about one-third larger.
During this expansion, new staircases were built inside the building. These stairs led to the second floor and the attic. The old outside staircase was removed. The addition also changed the building's original Foursquare design. It added 30 feet to the first and second floors. Two attic rooms with eight-foot ceilings were also added. The new windows matched the old ones. The dormers and chimneys were moved to keep the building looking balanced.
The new rooms had hardwood pine floors. The old rooms kept their original plank floors. A vault was put in one of the new rooms. On the second floor, a hallway was added to reach the courtroom. The attic was only partly finished. You could see the brick walls and wood beams. The courtroom itself was made larger. This gave more space for the jury and lawyers. The spectator area was made smaller by about four feet.
1924 Electrical System
Electricity was installed in the building in 1924. This included 12 lights throughout the courthouse. Four of these lights were in the courtroom.
1943 Addition
In 1943, a one-story addition was built on the south side of the courthouse. This part had a flat roof and included restrooms. It provided more office space and vaults. This addition made the courthouse a total of 5,761 square feet.
At this time, the building was covered in stucco and painted white. The stucco made the building look uniform. It also helped protect the soft original bricks. Small windows in the attic dormers were replaced with vents.
Downstairs, offices were used by the county clerk, collector, and other officials. The second floor had the courtroom. It also had offices for the superintendent of schools and the judge. The judge's office also served as a jury room.
1969 Renovation
In 1969, modern wood panels were put up inside the building. They covered the original painted plaster walls. A new ceiling was added to the courtroom, making it lower. The courtroom was also rewired, and new lights were installed.
1973 Renovation
In 1973, some small changes were made to the 1943 addition. Restrooms were moved and changed to create a storage area. This area was used for voter registration files.
Jesse James Film Connection
The director, Henry King, was looking for a place to film his movie Jesse James. He first visited Clay County, Missouri, where Jesse James actually lived. But it looked too modern for the film. So, a friend suggested Pineville.
Actor Tyrone Power, who played Jesse James, wrote in his diary that the "old red-brick courthouse ... in Pineville ... looks today more like yesterday's Liberty than the modern town of Liberty does." The courthouse needed very few changes for the movie. A temporary stone sign was put over the main entrance. It said "Clay County Courthouse."
In the movie, the courthouse is very important. Many jail scenes were filmed inside the building. It also appears in outdoor shots. It was the center of the town square, where much of the action happened.
Saving the Courthouse
The Old McDonald County Courthouse almost got torn down several times. In 1940, people asked the county to raise money to replace it. Again in 1965, there was talk of replacing the old courthouse.
In 1977, plans were made for a new county courthouse. One idea was to tear down the old building and build the new one on the same spot. But only one company offered to remove it, and their price was too low. So, the building was saved! Its role in the 1939 Jesse James film helped protect it.
That same year, the county bought land two blocks north of the town square. They planned to build a new courthouse there. The new building was designed to be 72 by 84 feet. Construction began in December 1977. A grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce helped pay for it. The new courthouse opened in July 1978. This happened during the town's annual Jesse James Days festival. At that time, it was the only new county courthouse in Missouri built on a different site to save the old one.
What Happened After 1978
After being saved, the old courthouse was leased in 1979 to a local woman named Jo Pearcy. She started some restoration work. She fixed some of the roof beams. She turned the upstairs courtroom into a museum. The downstairs rooms were rented out for shops and a small cafe.
The county still used part of the old courthouse for storing records. By the mid-1980s, the county took back the whole building for offices. The University of Missouri Extension Center used offices there until 2010. The Missouri Division of Probation and Parole used the old courtroom for programs. In 2004, the local chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving also had office space in the building.
National Register of Historic Places
People tried to get the courthouse listed on the National Register of Historic Places as early as 1978. Another attempt was made in 1996. But these early efforts didn't succeed. Finally, in June 2012, the McDonald County Historical Society helped the building get this important designation. They were also working to restore the building at the time.
Restoration Work
By 2010, the old courthouse was empty again and in danger of being torn down. To save it, the county government made a deal with the McDonald County Historical Society. The society leased the building for 10 years, with automatic renewals.
The society's goal was to restore the courthouse to how it looked around 1905. They wanted to open it as a museum. After getting the building, the historical society quickly removed the modern ceilings and wall panels from 1969. This revealed the building's original high ceilings, beautiful wood beams, and fancy woodwork.
The windows and doors were fixed. The original wood beams and moldings were cleaned and restored. If old materials were too damaged, new ones were made to look like the originals. Central heating and air conditioning were installed to protect the artifacts. Most of the air ducts were hidden. An elevator is planned for the southeast rooms. This will help people with disabilities reach the upstairs.
Historical Society Museum
The McDonald County Historical Society started in 1963. With their help, the old courthouse has been restored and turned into a museum. The museum focuses on the history of McDonald County.
The museum opened to the public in May 2013. At first, only the downstairs was finished. The upstairs courtroom was restored by 2015. The museum is open on Fridays and Saturdays during the summer. It has exhibits on:
- The 1939 Jesse James film
- Early county education
- The music history of the county, including Albert E. Brumley
- Local military service
- A drug store exhibit
- A restored courtroom and county prosecutor's office
Images for kids
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The west and south sides of the Old McDonald County Courthouse after the 1905 addition to the east side of the building.
