Hancock County Courthouse | |
Location | Courthouse Sq., Findlay, Ohio |
---|---|
Coordinates | 41°2′20″N83°39′2″W / 41.03889°N 83.65056°W |
Area | 1.5 acres (0.61 ha) |
Built | 1886-1888 |
Architect | Weary & Kramer |
Architectural style | Palladium, Victorian, and Richardson Romanesque [1] |
NRHP reference No. | 73001475 [2] |
Added to NRHP | May 7, 1973 |
The Hancock County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Findlay, Ohio, United States. Built between 1886 and 1888, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. [2]
The building, as planned in 1885, was to replace a previous brick courthouse located at the same site. When oil and natural gas were discovered in Hancock County shortly thereafter, the Courthouse was given many of its unique and eclectic stylings. [1] On April 17, 1885 the Ohio Legislature authorized the construction of a new courthouse for Hancock County, raising $100,000 in bonds. The cornerstone was laid on August 11, 1886. W.H. Campfield won the initial bid to construct the courthouse enclosure and that was completed by November 1886. Campfield again won the bid for the completion of the project. Amidst delays the project soared from an estimate of $121,890.25 to $305,272.53 (although after refunds on the bonds and interest this blossomed to more than $511,010). [3]
On May 30, 1913 the bathtub of Captain Charles Dwight Sigsbee recovered from the shipwreck of the USS Maine was publicly displayed for the first time at the Hancock County Courthouse. [4]
The building measures 82 feet by 142 feet and is 139.5 feet tall from the sidewalk to the top of the county's namesake and Founding Father John Hancock. [5] The Hancock statue is made of copper and stands next to a pedestal with a law book upon the clock tower. It stands approximately 18 feet tall. In September 1922, during a severe storm the statue was blown off the courthouse and extensively damaged. It was repaired the following year. [1] Below John Hancock sit the three feminine figures, Law, Justice, and Mercy, also made out of copper. [6] The clock tower itself has four faces pointing towards each cardinal direction. Each face measures between 8 and 9 feet in diameter. Originally these clocks had a pendulum, 3000 lb bell, and were hand wound until 1925 when they were electrified. The clock faces and inner works were constructed by the E. Howard & Co. [1]
During the 1990s the courthouse underwent an extensive $3 million restoration. The brass railings to both the second and third floors are original to the structure, as well as the brass medallions below the bannisters. Also the ornately tiled floors, floral motif stained glass, and the imposing early Victorian woodwork is original. [1]
It currently houses the Hancock County Common Pleas Court, Clerk of Courts, Law Library, Recorder's, Auditor's, and Treasurer's offices.
The Butler County Courthouse is located in Hamilton, Ohio and was constructed from 1885–1889 by architect David W. Gibbs. The courthouse is a registered historic building listed in the National Register on June 22, 1981.
The Allen County Courthouse is an historic courthouse building located at the corner of North Main Street & East North Street in Lima, Ohio, United States. In 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
The Auglaize County Courthouse is located between West Mechanic, Willipie, West Pearl and Perry Streets in downtown Wapakoneta, Ohio, United States. Completed in 1894, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Monroe County Courthouse is located in Woodsfield, Ohio and is one of few courthouses located in a town square. It is the fourth courthouse building on this site, with two of the previous ones destroyed in fires. The present building is of red brick with yellow brick quoins, pillars and pediments, which are said to represent the colors of fall in the surrounding countryside. The main entrance is reached by a small flight of stairs between Ionic columns and a pediment of fine arched stone.
The Guernsey County Courthouse is located on U.S. Route 40 in Cambridge, Ohio. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973.
The Paulding County Courthouse is a historic governmental building in downtown Paulding, Ohio, United States. A Richardsonian Romanesque building erected in 1886, it is the third courthouse to serve the residents of Paulding County.
The Fayette County Courthouse is a historic courthouse building located at 110 East Court Street in Washington Court House, Ohio. On July 2, 1973, it was added to the National Register.
The Wood County Courthouse and Jail, located in Bowling Green, Ohio, United States, is Wood County's third courthouse. It was built after citizens decided to move the county seat from Perrysburg to Bowling Green. Ground was broken on November 28, 1893, and the cornerstone was laid on July 4, 1894. The architectural firm of Yost & Packard of Columbus designed the courthouse and construction was overseen by T.B. Townsend of Youngstown. The winning tender for the project was $153,803 and the final construction costs totaled $255,746.
The Old Indiana County Courthouse is a former courthouse located in Indiana, Indiana County, Pennsylvania. The courthouse was built between 1869 and 1870 and designed by local architect James W. Drum. It was the second courthouse to serve the county, with the first demolished in 1868. The final cost of the project was $150,000. A dedication ceremony took place on December 19, 1870. Former Governor of Pennsylvania William F. Johnston spoke at the ceremony.
The First Hancock County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Findlay, Ohio, United States. Built in 1833, it was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. The building, as planned in December 1831, was designed to be a temporary structure for the county offices and court system. It was designed as a two-story building measuring 24 by 26 feet; it is a simple frame structure of no particular architectural style. With the exception of the main entrance, the building's elements are purely functional: its shape is simply rectangular with no ornamental details, except for a decorative transom and sidelights framing the main entrance.
The petroleum industry in Ohio dates from 1859. Ohio continues to produce significant quantities of oil and gas, having produced more than 1 billion barrels of oil and 9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas since 1860. Unconventional resources, primarily in eastern Ohio, are likely to increase production in Ohio.
The Starke County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located at Knox, Starke County, Indiana. It was designed by the architectural firm of Wing & Mahurin, of Fort Wayne and built in 1897. It is a three-story, Richardsonian Romanesque style Indiana Oolitic limestone and terra cotta building. It has a Greek cross-plan and is topped by a tiled hipped roof. It features a 138 feet tall clock tower located at the roof's center.
The Van Wert County Courthouse is a historic governmental building in downtown Van Wert, Ohio, United States. Located at 121 E. Main Street, the courthouse is a Second Empire structure built in 1876. It is Van Wert County's third courthouse: when the county was established, the village of Willshire was designated the county seat; Van Wert was made the seat in 1838, and a courthouse-and-jail complex was built in that community in the following year.
The Franklin County Courthouse in Hampton, Iowa, United States was built in 1891. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 2003 it was included as a contributing property in the Hampton Double Square Historic District. The courthouse is the third facility to house court functions and county administration.
The Clarion County Courthouse and Jail is a historic courthouse and jail located in Clarion, Clarion County, Pennsylvania. The courthouse was built between 1883 and 1885, and is a 3 1/2-story, brick Victorian structure with Classical details measuring 78 feet, 8 inches, wide and 134 feet deep. It has a 213 foot tall, 25 feet square, clock tower. The jail was built between 1873 and 1875, and is a half brick / half sandstone building, located behind the courthouse.
The Iron County Courthouse is a government building located at the west end of Superior Avenue in Crystal Falls, Michigan. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a Michigan State Historic Site in 1974.
The Holmes County Courthouse is a historic government building in Millersburg, Ohio, United States. Built in the late nineteenth century, it has been designated a historic site because of its architectural importance.
The Hancock Historical Museum is a museum in Findlay, Ohio dedicated to the preservation of the history of Hancock County, Ohio. It is a non-profit, privately funded museum located in the Hull-Flater House at 422 West Sandusky Street and is a member of the Ohio Local History Alliance.
The Brown County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in Aberdeen, the county seat of Brown County, South Dakota. It was built in 1904 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Shelby County Courthouse is a government building in Shelbyville, the county seat of Shelby County, Illinois, United States. Completed in 1881, it is the third courthouse in the county's history.