Newton County Courthouse

Introduction

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Erected in 1939, the Newton County Courthouse is one of the more unique courthouses in the Ozarks, combining Art Deco architecture with the region's stone building tradition. It was built with funds from the Works Progress Administration (WPA), one of the agencies of the New Deal program, which was a federal effort to provide jobs to unemployed Americans during the Great Depression (1929-1939).

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The Newton County Courthouse was built in 1939.

Backstory and Context

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Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the courthouse is the fourth one built for the county. It was constructed because the third burned down in 1938. WPA architects adopted the Art Deco style for numerous other buildings in the country (and in Arkansas), and the courthouse was no exception.

Sources

Story, Kenneth. "Newton County Courthouse." National Parks Service - National Register of Historic Places. December 1, 1994. http://www.arkansaspreservation.com/National-Register-Listings/PDF/NW0005.nr.pdf.

Photo: Kevin Stewart, via Flickr
https://www.flickr.com/photos/kevystew/16710317988