This article needs additional citations for verification .(November 2009) |
Wood County Courthouse and Jail | |
Location | Bowling Green, Ohio |
---|---|
Coordinates | 41°22′35″N83°38′54″W / 41.37639°N 83.64833°W Coordinates: 41°22′35″N83°38′54″W / 41.37639°N 83.64833°W |
Area | 24 acres (97,000 m2), 2 buildings |
Built | 1894 |
Architect | Yost & Packard; T.B. Townsend |
Architectural style | Romanesque |
NRHP reference No. | 74001651 [1] |
Added to NRHP | June 25, 1974 |
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 County Commissioners took possession of the new building on August 31, 1896, and the new Common Pleas Courtroom was dedicated on September 7, 1896.
Sandstone from Amherst, Ohio, granite from Vermont, and marble from Italy were used in the construction of the courthouse. Architecturally, it is Richardsonian Romanesque in design with architectural sculpting throughout the building done by Whyte and Priest of Dayton, Ohio. To facilitate construction, a temporary railroad along pike street was established to the construction site. [2] Ornate stained glass panels cover much of the ceiling on the third floor and are visible from ground level due to the large open staircase which ascends through the middle of the second floor. The staircase consists of polished marble steps with brass railings.
The clock tower rises to a height of 195 feet (59 m). At the time of its construction, the clock hands were the second largest in America spanning 16 feet (4.9 m) in diameter. They were only exceeded by the hands on the clock of the Chronicle newspaper building in San Francisco which were 16.5 feet (5.0 m) in diameter. The clock was made by the E. Howard & Co. at a cost of $3000. The clock tower bells weigh 2,000 lb (910 kg).
Murals decorate the east and west walls of the third floor. The murals were painted by I. M. Taylor, who was the mayor of Bowling Green from 1911 to 1920. [3] The east wall depicts Fort Meigs, a vital outpost in the War of 1812, and the west wall depicts a train passing through oil derricks in southern Wood County, a major producer of oil in the late 19th century. [4]
A major restoration of the interior of the courthouse was undertaken in 1980, and a restoration of the exterior of the building was completed in 2002.
President William Howard Taft held a rally at the courthouse in 1912. [5]
Jimmy Hoffa visited the courthouse on September 25, 1937 to get a marriage license, and married his wife in Bowling Green the same day. [6] [7]
President Ronald Reagan delivered a speech at the courthouse on October 19, 1988 to promote the candidacy of George H. W. Bush. [8]
There are two common pleas courtrooms and accompanying judicial offices located on the third floor as well as a jury assembly room, holding cell and conference rooms. A probate courtroom and judicial offices are located on the second floor, as is the Clerk of Courts Office. The first floor houses court security, court administration and a domestic relations courtroom with magistrates' offices and conference rooms. A five-story office building adjoining the courthouse contains a third common pleas courtroom and judicial offices as well as other county offices including the auditor, treasurer, engineer, commissioners, prosecutor, adult probation, building inspection and board of elections. A glass-enclosed atrium joining the courthouse and office building was completed in 2004. At that time existing entrances and exits to both buildings were closed and the atrium became the only public entrance to either building. It is staffed by court security who monitor people entering the buildings.
The clock tower is still in use. The original chimes are in working order and ring the hour, every hour, by denoting one chime per hour. All four clockfaces are quite remarkable, with two layers of Roman numerals. The inner layer closest to the center is golden and can be viewed easily when in shade. The outer ring on numerals is painted black iron which is easily readable when in direct sunlight. The tower also contains a box designed for use by nesting falcons.
Construction of the old Wood County Jail, located next to the courthouse, was begun on May 21, 1901, and completed in 1902 at a cost of $49,000. The Fremont firm of Fronizer and Andrews constructed the building, which continued in use as the county jail until 1990. [9]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Wood County Courthouse and Jail . |
Bowling Green is a city in and the county seat of Wood County, Ohio, United States, located 20 miles southwest of Toledo. The population was 30,028 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Toledo Metropolitan Area and a member of the Toledo Metropolitan Area Council of Governments. Bowling Green is the home of Bowling Green State University.
The Justice Center Complex is a building complex located in the Civic Center District in Cleveland, Ohio, in the United States. The complex consists of the Cleveland Police Headquarters Building, the Cuyahoga County and Cleveland Municipal Courts Tower, and the Correction Center, and Jail II. It occupies a city block bounded by Lakeside Avenue, Ontario Street, West 3rd Street, and St. Clair Avenue. The Lakeside Avenue entrance faces the Cuyahoga County Court House, erected in 1912.
Hennepin County Government Center is the courthouse and primary county government administration building for Hennepin County in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It is located in downtown Minneapolis, the county seat of Hennepin County. Before its construction, the Hennepin County government offices were housed in the Minneapolis City Hall-Hennepin County Courthouse. The building was opened in 1974 and occupied in stages in 1975.
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 Washington County Courthouse in Hillsboro, Oregon is the courthouse for Washington County, Oregon, in the United States. Washington County was established in 1843 and the first government building was finished in 1852. The current courthouse was built in 1928 with an addition and renovations to the structure in 1972. Currently the building houses courtrooms, the county sheriff's dispatch, staff offices, and the office of the district attorney. The county jail was previously attached to the courthouse.
The Beltrami County Courthouse is a historic government building in Bemidji, Minnesota, United States. It was erected in 1902 as the seat of government for Beltrami County. District court functions relocated in 1974 to the newly completed Beltrami County Judicial Center immediately to the southwest, and the historic courthouse has been remodeled to house government offices. The old courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 for its state-level significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government. It was nominated for its status in Beltrami County as its long-serving center government and as its most prominent example of public architecture and Beaux-Arts style.
The Fulton County Courthouse, built in 1870, is a historic courthouse building located in Wauseon, Ohio. On May 7, 1973, it was added to the National Register.
The Courthouse of Crawford County, Ohio, is a landmark of the county seat, Bucyrus, Ohio. The courthouse was built in 1854 on East Mansfield Street by architect Harlan Jones and was added to the National Register of Historic Places on 1985-02-28 as a part of the Bucyrus Commercial Historic District.
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.
The Federal Building and Post Office is a historic main post office, courthouse, and Federal office building in Brooklyn, New York. The original building was the Brooklyn General Post Office, and is now the Downtown Brooklyn Station, and the north addition is the courthouse for the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of New York, and is across the street from and in the jurisdiction of the main courthouse of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, the Theodore Roosevelt Federal Courthouse. It also houses offices for the United States Attorney, In 2009, the United States Congress enacted legislation renaming the building the Conrad B. Duberstein United States Bankruptcy Courthouse, in honor of chief bankruptcy judge Conrad B. Duberstein.
The Jasper County Courthouse in Rensselaer, Indiana is a building from 1898. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983 and is located in the Rensselaer Courthouse Square Historic District. The Jasper County Courthouse was erected in 1898 at a total cost of $141,731.94. It is located in the center of the Courthouse Square bounded by Washington, Cull en, Harrison and Van Rensselaer Streets. The Courthouse Square, itself, is defined by a retaining wall of concrete, about 18" high and a foot wide. There are steps leading from the street to the walks leading to all four entrances to the building.
The Putnam County Courthouse is a historic governmental building in downtown Ottawa, Ohio, United States. A two-story building, located at 245 E. Main Street, it was built in 1912 in the Beaux-Arts style of architecture.
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 William H. Natcher Federal Building and United States Courthouse is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. Built in 1912, the building was renamed for U.S. Representative William Huston Natcher in 1994. It is located at 241 East Main Street.
The Washington County Courthouse is the name of a current courthouse and that of a historic one in Fayetteville, Arkansas, the county seat of Washington County. The historic building, built in 1905, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The historic courthouse is the fifth building to serve Washington County, with the prior buildings located on the Historic Square where the Old Post Office is today. The building is one of the prominent historic buildings that compose the Fayetteville skyline, in addition to Old Main.
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 Wood County Museum, located in Bowling Green, Ohio, is the original site of the Wood County Infirmary also known as the Wood County Home or the Poor Farm. This structure was the home to poor, mentally- ill, physically disabled and anyone in need of public assistance who were residents of Wood County.
The Perry County Courthouse is a historic government building in the city of New Lexington, Ohio, United States. Built near the end of the nineteenth century after the end of a county seat war, it is the fifth courthouse to serve Perry County, and it has been named a historic site because of its imposing architecture.
The former Bowling Green Post Office is a historic governmental facility in downtown Bowling Green, Ohio, United States. Constructed in the early twentieth century, this post office features an unusual combination of distinctive architectural styles, and it has been named a historic site.
The Wayne County Courthouse is located in Corydon, Iowa, United States. Three buildings have served Wayne County as its courthouse.