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Bright white, uniform in design, and three and a half stories tall, the Republic County Courthouse is hard to miss. The words "Republic County Courthouse" in all caps is centered above the front entrance's floor to ceiling art deco windows. Situated at the center of the town square, the courthouse occupies a block all of its own, perhaps a reminder that at the heart of Belleville is a community invested in its civic health.


Republic County Courthouse

Sky, Property, Plant, Window

Interior of the Republic County Courthouse.

Property, Stairs, Building, Wood

Republic County Courthouse

Sky, Plant, Window, Cloud

The current Republic County courthouse was built following the accidental burning of the first courthouse in 1938. The original structure was built in 1885 and composed of brick. Following its destruction, the Commissioners of Republic County received funds ($250,000) from the Public Works Administration (PWA) for the construction of a new courthouse. As it stands today, the Republic County Courthouse is a mix of art deco and early European Modern styles. The unique structure was designed by Mann and Company from Hutchinson, Kansas. Standing at three and a half stories tall, the current building houses offices on the ground floor, public services offices on the second, court functions on the third level, and a jail for the fourth. The interior of the courthouse is furnished with metal stair railings, contemporary lighting, and marble.

http://www.bellevilleks.org/history-of-belleville.html

Image Sources(Click to expand)

http://www.bellevilleks.org/history-of-belleville.html

Photograph by David Sachs.