Greene County Courthouse

The Greene County Courthouse was built in 1912 and served as the seat of county government until the 1990s. It is an excellent example of Classical Revival architecture. It features a colonnade of four Ionic columns above the main entrance doorways, pedimented second-story windows, and a wide frieze that wraps around the top of the building. The Greene County Assessor and other county departments occupy the courthouse today. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2007.

Greene County was established in 1833. The first courthouse was an existing log cabin that was near the public square. It was replaced by a brick building in 1837 that was located in the center of the square. At the time, there were around 5,000 residents in the county. The third courthouse, a classical-style structure, was built in the late 1860. By then, the county population rose to 13,000 and continued to grow in the coming decades. By 1900, there were 52,713 residents. Given this increase, it was clear that a new, larger courthouse was needed to accommodate the growing population.

It took several years for the present courthouse to be built, however. Residents were reluctant to agree to tax increases in 1906 and 1907 and there was disagreement about where to build the courthouse. Springfield had grown in two parts—the original city around the public square and North Springfield—and they were joined in 1887. However, when it came time to select the location of the new courthouse, there was strong competition between the two areas. Eventually the present location was chosen since it was situated between the two areas.

Construction finally began in 1910. Although it was finished in 1912, interior work continued until 1915. A number of the county departments, including the Assessor's office, have occupied the building since its completion. City offices were also originally located in the courthouse.

Emrie, Gail. "Greene County Courthouse." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. November 14, 2007. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/63818923/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MO/07001185.pdf.