Taylor County Courthouse (Wisconsin) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Taylor County Courthouse
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Taylor County Courthouse
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| Location | 224 S. Courthouse Sq. Medford, Wisconsin |
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| Built | 1913 |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| NRHP reference No. | 80000198 |
| Added to NRHP | May 14, 1980 |
The Taylor County Courthouse is a beautiful, historic building in Medford, Wisconsin. It was built in 1914 and has a grand style called Classical Revival, which looks like ancient Greek and Roman buildings. This three-story building has a shiny metal dome on top. Because of its history and design, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. This means it's an important landmark worth protecting. Before this building, an older courthouse stood in the same spot, built in 1876.
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The First Courthouse: 1876
Taylor County was created on March 4, 1875, from parts of other counties like Clark and Marathon. Soon after, people started planning for a courthouse in Medford.
Choosing a Location
The first courthouse was built where the current one stands, but picking the spot was a big debate! Two local mill owners, Roberts and Whelen, offered five acres of land west of the Black River. They said the county could have the land if they bought their lumber for building. The Wisconsin Central Railroad offered a different spot, east of the river.
Some people supported Roberts and Whelen's offer. However, the County Board of Supervisors (the local government group) chose the railroad's site. They said Roberts and Whelen's land was too close to the river. The cost of building was also a problem, as the chosen bid of $15,000 was not the cheapest.
A Big Disagreement
A town meeting was held, and most people voted for Roberts and Whelen's site. But the county board stuck with the railroad's site. Whelen and his friends then got a court order, called an injunction, to stop the building plans. They even started building a courthouse on the west side of the river!
This big argument went all the way to the state government in the Senate and Assembly. In the end, the first courthouse was built east of the river in the spring of 1876. It cost $5,360.75. This fight caused a lot of bad feelings among people for many years.
What the First Courthouse Looked Like
This first courthouse was a two-story wooden building. It had narrow windows and a tall, decorative tower called a cupola. As the county grew, the building was made larger in 1889 to have more space.
The Current Courthouse: 1914
The first courthouse was built when the county was booming from logging and railroads. By 1912, much of the best timber had been cut down. People started thinking about replacing the old courthouse.
Why a New Building?
One main reason for a new courthouse was to protect important county records. The old building's vault (a strong room for safety) was not considered safe enough. People remembered how documents were destroyed when the U.S. Land Office in Eau Claire burned down.
Another reason, not talked about openly, was money. Some leaders believed the courthouse should be built while the county was still wealthy from its timber. They worried that if they waited, farmers and other citizens would have to pay for it later, when the timber wealth was gone.
Design and Construction
The new courthouse was designed by Baldwin Mehner, who had also designed the Calumet County Courthouse. Hutter Construction won the job with a bid of $57,203 and started building in 1913.
The dedication ceremony for the new courthouse was a big event on September 9, 1914. There were fireworks, a prize of $150 for the best decorated car, $30 for the best driving horses, and even a tug-of-war contest between different towns!
What the Building Looks Like Today
The building you see today is three stories tall. The first floor is covered in light-colored limestone, and the top two floors are made of red brick. The dome on top has eight sides and is covered in metal, with clocks on four sides.
When it first opened, county offices were on the first and second floors. The third floor was where the circuit court (a type of state court) held its sessions. Over the years, the building has been updated. In the 1950s, the electrical system was improved. In 2007, the windows were replaced, and the outside brick was cleaned and repaired. The county celebrated the building's 100th birthday on September 6, 2014.
