Allen County Courthouse
About this property
The Allen County Courthouse is located at the block surrounded by Clinton/Calhoun/Main/Berry Streets in downtown Fort Wayne, Indiana, the county seat of Allen County. Built between 1897 and 1902, it is a nationally significant example of Beaux-Arts architecture. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and was designated a National Historic Landmark on July 31, 2003. Designed by Brentwood S. Tolan, construction began in 1897, the cornerstone was laid November 17, 1897. The building was dedicated September 23, 1902, with a final cost of $817,553.59 ($250 million today). Present at its dedication were Mayor Henry C. Berghoff and Governor Winfield T. Durbin. President Theodore Roosevelt was scheduled to attend, however, he ultimately was not present. On September 23, 2002, the building was re-dedicated on its centennial after a seven-year restoration effort, which cost $8.6 million. The Beaux-Arts-style structure includes such features as four 25-by-45-foot (7.6 m × 13.7 m) murals by Charles Holloway, twenty-eight different kinds of scagliola covering 15,000 square feet (1,400 m2), bas-reliefs and art glass. Each of the five court rooms has its own color scheme. Atop the building is a 255-foot-high (78 m) copper-clad domed rotunda, itself topped by a 14-foot (4.3 m) statue wind vane of Lady Liberty. The building materials include Bedford Limestone and Vermont granite with Italian marble details. A tunnel was constructed to connect the Courthouse with the City-County Building located across the street. The Courthouse also houses a fallout shelter underground. The skylights originally built into the building were covered during World War II and replaced with artificial light. The 2001 National Historic Landmark Nomination says in its opening paragraph: "An elaborate combination of Greek, Roman, and Renaissance influences, the massive courthouse reflects the exuberant ambition of late nineteenth century America." National Register of Historic Places listings in Allen County, Indiana Hawfield, Michael and Michael Westfall, The Allen County Court House: A National Treasure Restored. The Allen County Court House Preservation Trust, Guild Press, 2002.
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Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).
Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
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Questions about this property
When was Allen County Courthouse listed on the National Register?
Allen County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 27, 1976.
What type of historic resource is Allen County Courthouse?
Allen County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.
Is Allen County Courthouse a National Historic Landmark?
Yes. Allen County Courthouse has been designated a National Historic Landmark (NHL), the highest level of federal recognition for historic properties in the United States.
What is the period of significance for Allen County Courthouse?
The period of significance for Allen County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.
Can I research the history near Allen County Courthouse?
Yes. Aubrey Research reports search National Register listings, battlefield records, land patents, and other primary historical sources within any radius of a US address. A report for an address near Allen County Courthouse will include this listing and all other historical records in the area.
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