The Old Court House -- Platte County, Nebraska

For half a century the building has served the people of Platte county as their court house, but with the completion of the new one it is destined to pass into oblivion, its mission fulfilled. An interesting coincidence in connection with the exercises today is the fact that just fifty-two years ago - in 1870 the pioneers of the county celebrated the completion of the old building, which was then regarded as an architectural achievement of the first magnitude.

On February 18, 1867, before Nebraska was admitted to the sisterhood of states, a special act of the Twelfth regular session of the legislative assembly of the Territory of Nebraska granting to the county commissioners of Platte county power to raise money for the erection of a court house was approved. 

Members of the county board at the time were Nelson Toncray, F. G. Becher and John Kelly, the latter being chairman. They lost no time in instructing County Clerk C. B. Stillman to call a special election for the issuance of $16,000 of bonds to run twenty years at 10%. The election was held April 22, 1867, and the vote in the entire county was: 96 for, and 29 against.

C.A. Speice was engaged as architect and received $50 remuneration for his service. Cost of the construction $18000.00.   His plans and specifications provided for a building 43 by 52 feet in dimensions, two stories high. The county board at that time was composed of F. G. Becher, chairman; S. C. Smith and William Davis, with H. J. Hudson as clerk. 

The center of Columbia square, comprising four blocks, was designated June 15, 1867, as the site for the court house, provided the Town of Columbus would deed it to the county. A controversy evidently ensued , however, for the minutes of the board refer to spirited discussions of the site question, and finally on April 22, 1868, the commissioners decreed the building should be erected on the southeast quarter of the square, the Town of Columbus to deed the block to the county and assume $3700 of the bonds.

The court house was completed in 1870 and accepted by the county in July of that year. 

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At that time County Clerk H. J. Hudson wrote to the Omaha Herald a lengthy account of the erection of the building, in which he said, in part: "The workmanship throughout is first class and pronounced by all that have examined it the most substantial and complete in its appointments of any in the state.  Eighteen thousand dollars was the way the contract price to build the court house and it stands out in bold relief as another beacon of Platte county enterprise."

Separation of Platte from Dodge County, 1855
First meeting Board of Commissioners, December 28, 1857
The first board was composed of Thomas Sarvis, District #1, chairman; George Spaulding, District #2; Gustavus G. Becher, District #3.  John Siebert was clerk.

• Organization of county completed, 1858.

• Number of square miles of land Platte county, 682.

• Number of miles of railroads in Platte county, 97.16.

• Population of Platte County, 1920, 19,464

• Assessed value of farm lands, 1921, $42,148,950.

• Assessed value of city property, 1921, $9,935,370.

The New Court House--                                             

As the architectural motive for the building a simple Grecian-Ionic order was chosen, with a colonnade two stories high across the south and east fronts, and a pediment over the south. The outside walls are faced with buff Bedford, Indiana, limestone, anchored to the brick backing walls are very massive. Two imposing entrances are provided on the south from fourteenth street and on the east from twenty-sixth avenue, the main one being to the south, opposite Frankfort square.  Both have broad stone approached, platforms, and steps, and are lighted at night by electroliers.

The plan of the building, which occupies a quarter-block of ground, is 70 feet by 106 feet. The foundation walls and footings are of gravel concrete and extend to the first floor.  The construction above that point is wall-bearing, reinforced concrete beams with interior carrying walls brick.  Floors throughout the entire building, and also the roof, are of reinforced concrete and have carried, in various places during the construction, live loads of 600 pounds per square foot, although they were only required to carry 100 pounds per square foot by the specifications.

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All the corridors have a wainscote four feet high of beautiful Italian marble. In this connection, it is interesting to note that, while Italian is the peer of all marbles and is ordinarily more expensive than the domestic, the prevailing rate of foreign exchange made it possible to secure the Italian marble here used at a price below what domestic marble would have cost.  All corridors and public spaces through-out the building have tile floors, while the offices and court rooms have buff velvetile floors and base.  The main stairways have marble treads and risers and marble balustrades.  Doors and windows are finished in quarter-sawed white oak. Windows in the first, second and third stories are glazed with plate glass. An electric push-button elevator operated from basement to fourth floor.  In the basement are located a community room, dedicated to the memory of the old soldiers and designed as a meeting place for patriotic organizations and public assemblies; a kitchen, property room, a well equipped ladies rest room, a storage vault, boiler room and coal bin. 

On the first floor are the offices of the county clerk, register of deeds, treasurer, assessor and engineer.  The second floor contains the offices of the county judge, supervisors, superintendent of schools, county attorney, and government veterinarian. On the third are the district court and equity court rooms, jury room, and offices of the clerk of the district court, the court reporter, the district judge and the sheriff.  The fourth floor is given over entirely to the jail, with two cell blocks, one having four and the other seven cells; a separate women's ward, a hospital ward and a juvenile detention room where youthful offenders will not come in contact with older prisoners.

The heating is done by a steam-vapor vacuum system, with an electric vacuum pump which pumps all the air out of the pipes, creating a partial vacuum that draws the steam generated by the boilers into the radiators.  This pump also returns the condensed water to the boiler and is entirely automatic in its action.  Heat loss is almost negligible, as the boilers and all piping which passes through rooms not heated is heavily insulated with asbestos.   Plumbing is complete to the last detail and all fixtures represent the best there is available from standpoint of utility and durability, and the sewerage and drainage system will meet the most rigid requirements of any board of health. More than 9000 feet, or nearly two miles, of pipe was used in installation of the plumbing and heating. 

Designed by Chas. Wurdeman, as architect, and erected under supervision of H.F. Woerth, as superintendent of construction, and the building committee of the county board, the new court house compares favorably with any public building in Nebraska and will serve the needs of the people of Platte County for generations to come. 
Dedicated in June 26, 1922, architect Mr. Charles Wurdeman, Columbus NE. Cost of Construction $343,194.11

Platte County Board of Supervisors:  Fred Bean, Joseph Bender, Henry Schaecher, W.T Matzen, Ed Lueschen & Geo. C. Anderson.
Building Committee: Ed Lueschen; Chairman, Henry Hobbensiefken, W.T. Matzen, Chas. Wurdeman; Architect, H.F. Woerth, Superintendent of Construction.
District Court: Hon. A.M Post, Judge - Columbus, NE,  John Cain, Reporter - Columbus, NE, Hon. F.W. Button, Judge - Fremont, NE, W.E. Butler, Reporter - Fremont, NE.
County Offices: John Gibbon - Judge, Geo. H. Bender - Clerk, Shell Clark - Assessor, A.J Kryzycki - Treasurer, Otto F. Walter - Attorney, Dan C. Kavanaugh - Sheriff, Jerry Carrig - Register of Deeds, Ethel Gossard - clerk of District Court, Fred S. Lecron - Superintendent schools.

Built in 1974-77 to meet changing law enforcement requirements, the addition contains the jail, city and county law enforcement facilities, and courts for the county.  In the courthouse the former district courtroom has been changed: new ceilings, lighting, and wall coverings.  However, original stenciling and elaborate della Robia plaster ceiling detail remain behind these changes.  Offices have fluorescent lighting, and there are new wall coverings and doors on the second and third floors.  Original interior features include oak counters (with new tops), marble mopboards, stairs and simple banisters, and wainscoting, some light fixtures in halls, and ornamental plasterwork in several patterns. Completion Sept 16, 1976, architect Acken Hazen, Hoffman & Miller Lincoln, Nebraska. $1,754,126.00.