Johnson County Courthouse

This courthouse became the third in Johnson County when the Richardsonian Romanesque structure was completed in 1898. The building was designed to replace a temporary structure that was utilized in the late 19th century after the county grew beyond the scope of the original courthouse which was completed in 1841. The location of that original courthouse was selected in 1836 by a committee that included Daniel Morgan Boone, the son of the pioneering outdoorsman Daniel Boone. This courthouse was designed by architect George E. McDonald, and despite challenges that delayed the building's completion, the Johnson County Courthouse impressed area residents so much that it became a model for several other Missouri courthouses. McDonald later designed several other county courthouses, among other buildings, in Missouri, Arkansas, Kansas, Nebraska, and Wyoming.

Serving as the seat of county government since its completion in 1898 by architect George E. McDonald, the Johnson County Courthouse is an impressive local rendering of the Richardsonian Romanesque style, which dominated courthouse architecture in Missouri during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In addition to its place as the heart of Warrenburg's political activity, the building's imposing nature with its goddess-topped clock tower and detailed roofline can be seen for several miles. 

Johnson County, named for U.S. Senator Richard Johnson (and later, U.S. Vice President), was organized in 1834. Two courthouses arose in Warrensburg before construction began in 1896 on the present-day courthouse designed by McDonald. The second location was a temporary building used between 1875 and 1898. Daniel Morgan Boone, son of frontiersman Daniel Boone, served on a commission that selected the location of the first courthouse in 1836. That structure was completed in 1841 and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The commission hired McDonald to design the building after reviewing his previous work, namely in Nebraska. McDonald moved his wife and two children to Warrensburg. Tensions between him and the contractor, John M. Anderson, led to a grand jury investigation; they found no wrongdoing with Anderson, but the animosity grew between the two men as the construction project became plagued by work stoppages, firings, and poor quality work. On May 14, 1897, with the deadline looming, part of the central tower brickwork collapsed when temporary wooden support gave way. Finally, with the third Johnson County Courthouse nearing completion in January 1898, most recognized the structure turning out to be an impressive building, even though the project exceeded the budget. 

The Johnson County Courthouse is a massive, rough-textured building that exemplifies the Richardsonian Romanesque style, made with brown-tinged gray sandstone from a local quarry. Indeed, the local sandstone could be found in several Missouri courthouses built between 1889 and 1910, many of them inspired by the Johnson County building. The Johnson County Courthouse also had numerous round arches, large entrances, four corner pavilions, and a central clock tower. In addition to its impressive design, the courthouse enjoyed new electric lights and steam heating. 

After completing the project, McDonald joined several other Warrensburg residents as they joined thousands of other "Klondikers" in Alaska searching for gold. Meanwhile, Mrs. McDonald remained in Warrensburg and was elected president of the local chapter of the woman's Christian Temperance Union. By May of 1898, McDonald returned from Alaska and sought to gain the commission to build a new courthouse in nearby Adair County. Although he did not get the job, three other Missouri counties accepted his design. In fact, the Johnson County Courthouse was the first of four western Missouri courthouses designed by McDonald. 

In 1899, one year after completing the Johnson County Courthouse, Andrew County selected McDonald's design for its new courthouse. Lawrence County followed suit in 1900, followed by Bates County in 1901. All four McDonald courthouses have the same basic form, a rectangular building with a central tower and corner pavilions. The resemblance is close enough that many people consider the three of them identical. However, only the Johnson County Courthouse is made of sandstone. The Andrew County and Lawrence County Courthouses are listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Four other Missouri counties (Adair, Greene, Grundy and Vernon) rejected McDonald's designs, but three of them ended up with similar features as McDonald's Johnson County design, including the Romanesque Revival style. McDonald also designed four courthouses in Nebraska and one in Kansas. In 1903, McDonald's also designed two Warrensburg buildings: Dockery Gymnasium (modern-day Dockery Hall), a sandstone Richardsonian Romanesque building on today's Central Missouri State University campus, and the First Baptist Church. 

Today, the Johnson County Courthouse serves as a reminder of the connection between Warrensburg and the value its people have placed on building a proper courthouse structure, dating back to 1836. The Johnson County Courthouse's grand design and impressive size make it visible throughout the city. Furthermore, the sandstone and design, accomplished by architect George E. McDonald, resembled courthouses constructed in other Missouri counties during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The Johnson County Courthouse has been the home to the city and county's politics for a century and a quarter; everything from civic events and weddings to elections and law passages has taken place within the walls and on its grounds. 

Johnson County Missouri Government. http://www.jococourthouse.com/. Accessed October 28, 2021.

Maserang, Roger. "Nomination Form: Johnson County Courthouse ." National Register of Historic Places. archives.gov. 1993. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/63819578/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_MO/94000288.pdf.