University Daily Kansan / Tuesday, November 24, 1987
Campus/Area
James Larson/KANSAN
The dome at the Douglas County courthouse was built in 1904
Courthouses preserve the past
By STACY FOSTER Special to the Kansan
The rowdy group of school children was silenced by the enormous size of the courtroom. They gazed wideeyed at the 22-foot ceiling that loomed above.
John Mark Lambertson, director of the Franklin County Historical Society, said the 94-year-old courtroom offend had such effects on children.
Ottawa's Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse was designed in 1897 by George P. Washburn of Ottawa. The courthouse was designed with intricate carvings in limestone, unique to the romanesque style. The limestone was used to accent red brick, the building's prim-
cipal material.
It is for children that courthouses are preserved. Courthouses give towns a sense of identity, Lambertson said. Preserving old courthouses helps maintain some of that comfortable hometown atmosphere, he said.
Inside, the courthouse still has its original oak woodwork. The walls have oak paneling, and the handrail on the staircase is oak.
Towns like Ottawa, Paola and Lawrence have recognized the importance of courthouses in their history and in the development of Kansas architecture in the late 1800's and early 1900's. In these three courthouses are preserved the styles of two of Kansas' most prominent architects, Washburn and John G. Haskell.
Deborah Barker, director of the Ottawa Arts Council, said it was important for towns to preserve the old courthouses. "We want them to realize that what is around them is of value," Barker said.
Barker received her master's degree in art history from the University of Kansas and has a special interest in the preservation of Ottawa's courthouse. Haskell was a pion-
Washburn designed 13 courthouses in Kansas, eight of which are on the National Register of Historic Places. "He is one of the most prolific courthouse architects of the 19th century in Kansas," said Martha Hagedorn-Krass, state architectural historian.
The courthouses in Lawrence, Ottawa and Paola are all on the national register. The national register helps to ensure that courthouses will survive. Before any work can be done to restore or destroy courthouses on the register, plans must be submitted to the state historical department. The plans are reviewed to insure that the proposed changes will not destroy any historical aspects of the courthouse.
Federal money was once available to help renovate buildings on the national register. Hagedorn-Krass
said money had not been available for renovations for about eight years.
In the early 1970's, Lawrence received $850,000 in federal money to help renovate the Douglas County courthouse. The limestone courthouse, designed by Haskell, was built in 1904 for $62,000.
By the early 1960's, however, the courthouse needed major renovations. The wooden windows had shrunk, causing drafts. Moisture had penetrated the limestone, causing it to crack and break. The stone had discolored, and mortar was missing at the joints. The courthouse jail also was completely inadequate and needed to be torn down.
Arthur Heck was county commissioner from 1967 to 1977, when the future of the courthouse was being discussed.
"It was a county disgrace to have to put up with that jail for as long as we did. It was absolutely terrible," Heck said.
The Franklin County courthouse has an intricately carved oak staircase. James Larson KANSAI
James Larson/KANSAN
James Larson/KANSAN
The Miami County courthouse, built from 1897 to 1899, is on the National Register of Historic Places as are the Douglas and Franklin County courthouses.
The jail could go, but the public would not tolerate the removal of the courthouse; it had to serve some purpose, Heck said.
The old courthouse now houses the county offices, but court is held in the new judicial building. The old courtroom is now used or county commission hearings.
But, the courtroom in Paola, in Miami County, still is used to hear cases. Miami County District Judge Stephen Hill said the old courtroom looked like a courtroom, as opposed to newer courtrooms that look like meeting rooms.
"We have a beautiful courtroom. You can tell it's got one function, and that's for court. People feel like they've been to court when they've
been here." Hill said
The Miami County courthouse was built from 1897 to 1899 by Washburn.
Virginia Bundy, president of the Miami County Historical Society said that in 1979, a group of Paola seventh graders recognized the importance of preserving their old courthouse. Some renovations had taken place, but nothing had been done to preserve the clock in the clock tower.
The class wrote a letter to the county commission expressing their concern for the building and the importance of having a working clock. The class, along with the help of teachers, convinced the commission and helped raise the $11,845 needed to install the clock.
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