As early as August 1937, the east roof needed repair. Several changes had been made to the original plans to keep the total cost below $100,000. Menard County Court in Menard, Texas. The building’s temple-like form and incorporation of Mayan motifs suggests that Withers was also familiar with pre-Colombian architecture. County Seat: Menard COUNTY OF MENARD ) ) S.S. STATE OF ILLINOIS ) The Menard County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday November 14, 2017 at 6:00 p.m. in the Menard County Courthouse, 102 S. Seventh Street, Petersburg, Illinois. The rear (south) elevation of the Menard County Courthouse, which faces the courthouse parking lot, is a simpler version of the front façade. County Seat: Menardville It was designed by P.H. Let us know here, Montgomery County Courthouse120 N. Main Street, Room 1250.0 mile away, McDonough County Courthouse#1 Courthouse Square0.0 mile away, Bond County Courthouse200 West College11.3 miles away, © 2020 Everything-Bytes | Terms of Use & Privacy Policy. Santa Claus comes to visit the children of Menard County by meeting them at the courthouse and courthouse square. One final attempt was made by the citizens of Menard to save the 1885 jail. From 1880 to 1884, the limestone structureâs first floor housed a general store while the second functioned as the countyâs courtroom. Taking advantage of the lower construction costs and plentiful labor supply generated by the Great Depression, the county constructed the building to replace their 1885 courthouse and jail. (Menard News Nov. 11, 1971) On September 8, 1930, a bond election was approved to seek the citizens’ endorsement of $80,000 in bonds, payable over 40 years at 5 % interest. It should come as little surprise then, that the two Texas county courthouses most comparable to that of Menard, Voelker and Dixon’s 1930 Cottle County Courthouse and Lang and Witchell’s 1928 Eastland County Courthouse, were designed by prominent firms from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex. (Menard County Historical Society, 1982). By the time the Spanish reached the valley, in the eighteenth century, they found enough Apache and Comanche residents to warrant the establishment of a mission, Santa Cruz de San Sabá, and a military fort, San Luis de las Amarillas Presidio, in 1757. Substantial repairs and changes, totalling $12,170, were made to the basement and first floor by contractor R. S. Ligon, Jr. in 1973. Mr. Throughout World War II, the Library Club sent books to Menard men in military training camps. An additional jail cell, known as the “dungeon,” was originally placed in the unfinished basement and used for prisoners too drunk or difficult to get up four flights of stairs. The construction firm Vickery and Haynes of Kimble County submitted the lowest bid, $12,500, and was awarded the courthouse contract on May 12, 1885. Elmer J. Withers of the Fort Worth firm Withers and Thompson, designed the new courthouse with a ⦠Mailing Address: P.O. COUNTY OF MENARD ) ) S.S. STATE OF ILLINOIS ) The Menard County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, September 29, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at the Menard County Courthouse, 102 S. Seventh Street, Petersburg, Illinois. Building Materials/Description: 4-story brick structure with limestone details. The massing is essentially the same, but it lacks the projecting one-story entry and is only minimally decorated. William J. Vaughn, with partners William Tipton and James Comstock, established the Vaughn Agricultural and Mechanical Canal Company, in 1874. Although a cot was added in March 1937, the sheriff was ordered to discontinue use of the space in November of the same year because it was a hazard to a person’s health. While building’s designed in this style achieved a novel and modern “look,” what was inside the “envelope” remained relatively unchanged. Five bids were returned, and E.D. (Robinson 1983: 262-269) The Menard County Courthouse is an excellent example of the style’s swift and widespread adoption, even in more isolated rural counties. Without proper heating, lighting, or ventilation, conditions in the “dungeon” were often criticized. The Commissioners Court, judge, sheriff, and other county officials prepared to visit several recent courthouses and jails for ideas, including those in Uvalde, San Antonio, and Eagle Pass. The section of the canal that passes through the square is lined on both sides with concrete and crossed by several small concrete pedestrian bridges. The similarly styled stone jail was at the southern end of the square, near the site of the current courthouse. Mrs. Will Nixon was ordered on January 11, 1932, to purchase furniture for the second floor Witness Room (then referred to as the Rest Room), not to exceed $500. Minor. (“The Ditch,” Texas Historical Marker File) *Not location specific. In the early 1930s, a good deal of controversy and discussion surrounded the construction of a new courthouse and jail and the fate of the 1885 buildings. It is named for Michel Branamour Menard, the founder of Galveston, Texas. That decision was reversed in August 1938, however, when a petition was made to the court for an urgent need to use the “dungeon,” and it continued to be used thereafter. Settlement in the county, and especially around Menardville, was boosted in the 1870s by the construction of a ten-mile irrigation canal. Four months later, on September 14, 1931, the West Texas Utilities Company of Menard was awarded a $750 contract for electrical lights and fixtures. Development of Menard County[1]. Rumors soon circulated that the Commissioners Court was planning to spend between $125,000 and $140,000, based on the request for bids. Menard County is a county in the U.S. state of Illinois.According to the 2010 United States Census, it had a population of 12,705. The library used the courthouse space, free of charge, until March 1963, when it was moved to a house at the corner of Bevans and Mission Streets. COUNTY OF MENARD ) ) SS. (Plan-19) Stairs at each end of the central section lead up to the second floor. Menard’s courthouse square consists of two full blocks of land, bisected from west to east by a c.1875 irrigation canal (contributing), commonly known as “the ditch” or “the big ditch,” which extends from five miles above Menard to five miles below and irrigates 2,000 acres of land. Although some have estimated higher costs, a review of the Commissioners Court minutes suggests that the cost was approximately $100,000 to $105,000. Menard County Clerk's Office Texas. The jail was reportedly a dungeon, in the building’s northwest corner, into which prisoners were lowered and from which they could not escape without a ladder. Withers clearly understood the significance of form and massing to Art Deco architecture, which was then proliferating in Dallas and Fort Worth. The historical celebration, “Jim Bowie Days,” has also been held on the courthouse square for the past 10 years. The Commissioners Court ordered on May 13, 1884, that bonds be issued for the construction of a new courthouse and jail, and county residents responded by passing a $20,000 bond issue. Although the county most likely began using the new courthouse in 1931, furnishing the building would have to wait until the start of the new year. The old jail cells will be used.” Porter also reassured the reporter that he would use local labor whenever possible. He recommended a minimum depth of 9 feet, but preferred a depth of at least 14 feet. As work began, W.E. The three-story mass that rises behind the entry section is the most ornamental face of the building. Is any of the above incorrect? The original bonds approved by the Menard Commissioners Court did not provide for heating, plumbing, electrical wiring, jail equipment or movable furniture. The concrete walls of the raised, but unfinished, basement are exposed on the side and rear elevations, providing a visual base. This method was applied to buildings’ defining formal components, like columns and cornices, as well as in limited areas of applied decoration, often in the form of low-relief sculptural carvings. As Willard B. Robinson discusses in The People’s Architecture: Texas Courthouses, Jails, and Municipal Buildings, these attributes made the Modern Classic (or what Robinson refers to as “Stripped Classic”) style an especially popular choice for public architecture in the 1930s. The building’s gabled roof, including the gable ends and small knee walls, is sheathed in corrugated metal. Simpson was paid $60 for his consultation. In 1910, the town used a number of incentives to persuade the Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railroad Company to extend their tracks to the town, which the railroad asked to be renamed Menard. In addition to its function as the center of county government, the Menard County Courthouse has also housed several other community uses. (Plan-21) The fourth floor of the courthouse housed the original jail, which includes the jail cells themselves and the jailer’s living quarters. Instead of capitals, the pilasters feature an inset panel of cast stone with a stylized floral design resembling a Mayan hieroglyph. The building’s very traditional H-shaped courthouse plan, with the central courtroom flanked by supporting offices, is obscured by the modern look of its rigidly geometric, stepped masses and its limited, stylized ornamentation. To pay for the furniture, Menard County Courthouse Equipment Warrants in the amount of $4,000 were issued at 6 % interest to mature over 4 years. Mires and built by B. Strom in 1880. “The first men to the shovels when the word go was announced got the jobs.” (The Menard Messenger March 26,1931; Menard News Nov. 11, 1971). Commissioners Bob Lott, Jeff (Wiseman 1952; Commissioners Court Minutes). This photo is in 7 groups Illinois Flickrjournal 115,732 items Architecture of Illinois 3,503 items Architecture of Days Gone By 235,176 items Building with Stone 19,848 items buildings are beautiful 124,358 items Sky & Cloud Junkies (Please follow the rules :) 217,079 items No windows were included on the sides of the three-story sections, and the four-story mass has smaller casement windows without the lower horizontal openings. Present Status: Existing. Twelve bids were received for the electrical, plumbing, and heating work. It is difficult to determine a total cost for the 1931 Menard County Courthouse. Menard County Courthouse in Petersburg, Illinois. General Contractor: Vickery & Haynes The Modern Classic style was the perfect solution for a county who wanted to seem progressive and forward-thinking without completely abandoning the familiarity, solidity and monumentalism of classical idioms. All the bids were rejected for being too high, and new bids were requested immediately for review the following day. Yet another contract for roof repair was let in January 1947, to William Braley, before a major re-roofing project was undertaken in 1949. The paper also noted that, because of the Great Depression, “[a] court house can be constructed at this special time for considerably less than at ordinary or normal times.” Arguments were made about the assurance of local labor being used during the construction and the wisdom of paying bonds over an extended period of time, whereby the county could keep up with the loan during the difficult economic times of the Great Depression and pay more in the future as the economy allowed. The 1931 Menard County Courthouse has served as the center of county government for over seventy years. Visit our Links Page for websites providing Employment Listings, as well as US Government holiday closings. The Commissioners selected separate subcontractors from the combined bids that were received. A letter regarding the matter was published on April 9, 1931, from Harry Crozier, who wrote, “The point to me is that it is a sin to destroy beauty when there is so little left to us…but please see if you can’t save the old building and if you do my son and a multitude of men’s sons will look upon it one day and thank their God for a fellow whose eyes knew beauty enough to protect it for them.”. The United States government established their own military fort, Camp San Saba, in what is now the western end of Menard County in 1852. An apparently pressing need was addressed almost immediately. Over the following three years, the library remained dedicated to re-establishing an adequate library for the school. This is an image of a place or building that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in the United States of America. This building housed the Menard County courthouse and jail from 1880-84. The stones from the old courthouse and jail were used to build the fence around the Pioneer Rest Cemetery in Menard. (Figure-25), Both the 1885 courthouse and jail were razed when the new courthouse was built in 1931. (Menard County Historical Society, 1982) Additional bookcases were constructed in the County Courtroom in June 1937 for the storage of free textbooks for Menard County schools. Simpson, a consulting structural engineer from San Antonio, was called in to determine the best depth for the footings. Commonly referred to as “Art Deco,” a term derived from Paris’s 1925 Exposition Internationale des Arts Decoratifs et Industriels Modernes, the building’s style is more accurately understood as a combination of fairly traditional design concepts with elements of the new “modernistic” formal vocabulary associated with Art Deco architecture. During the month of February 1931, the cost of the courthouse and jail generated quite a bit of discussion. *Not location specific. Locate Menard real estate and other county court records held by the County Clerk including birth certificates, death certificates, marriage licenses, and divorce records. The second building used as a courthouse was a limestone commercial building in downtown Menard. General Contractor: E. D. Porter Twenty-two bids came in on March 9, 1931, ranging from $135,000 to $176,000. For its longstanding service as the center of Menard County government, the courthouse is nominated under Criterion A in the area of Government at the local level of significance. Their plans and specifications were approved by the Commissioners Court on February 5, 1931. A public privy was also erected for $209 by Scruggs & Schuchard. A gas station now occupies the site. STATE OF ILLINOIS ) The Menard County Board of Commissioners met on Tuesday, July 28, 2020 at 6:00 p.m. at the Menard County Courthouse, 102 S. Seventh Street, Petersburg, Illinois. Elmer George Withers (1881-1938), listed as E. G. Withers in the Commissioners Court minutes, was born in 1881 in Caddo Peak, Texas. The Menard County Courthouse in Menard County, Illinois. It was also mentioned that, without a new courthouse, the county would still have to spend at least $5,000 on a new vault. The presence of Apaches and Comanches continued to discourage settlement of the area into the mid 19th century, even after it was included in the 1842 Fisher-Miller Land Grant, in which the Republic of Texas gave more than three million acres to the San Saba Colonization Company to entice European immigrants to the valley. Veterans Day Celebrations are held every November 11th on the courthouse square. The form is nearly symmetrical, with the front distinguished by its protruding one-story entrance section and slightly more shallow three-story mass. This work appears to have been more successful, as no other roof repairs were reported until the 1980s. (Texas Courthouse Alliance; Menard County Historical Society, 1982). No official acceptance of the building was listed in the Commissioners Court minutes and no ribbon cutting ceremony was found in the newspaper, but one would assume that the building was occupied by the end of 1931. During the summer months, the swimming pool is a popular attraction, and its location on the courthouse square reinforces the courthouse’s significant role in the community. In addition to hosting these events, the courthouse square provides more informal opportunities for community interaction. The county was created in 1858 and later organized in 1871. The original bid was for $6,713.51, but it had been revised down to $3,908.51 in February. The only cast stone used on the rear elevation is in the cornice and pilaster “capitals” of the four-story mass. The railroad provided access to new markets for the county’s livestock, and Menard thrived, its population growing to 1,000 by 1914. A total of 512 votes were received with 270 votes FOR and 242 votes AGAINST the bond. Only minimal changes have been made to the exterior of the courthouse, and it also retains a high degree of integrity. When the local high school burned down in the fall of 1948, the library became the county’s sole source of books. After peaking at 4,521 in 1940, the county’s population returned to 2,964 by 1960 and has remained relatively constant at about 2,300 since 1980. The newspaper estimated that 12 or 15 businessmen attended the meeting and suggested that the total cost should be limited to $100,000. The Commissioners Court accepted the construction contract on March 23, 1931. This bid was for the building and all built-in fixtures, not including plumbing, heating or moveable furniture. The simple, rectangular building, designed by McDermott and Associates, was sheathed in multiple shades of brick in an attempt to match the courthouse. While most Art Deco-influenced courthouses in Texas, and especially those in more rural counties, derive their modern “look” primarily from ornamentation, Withers’s design focused on the building’s form, and its complex massing maintains a strong visual presence on every elevation. Withers, with his partner Jesse Thompson, the courthouse followed contemporary trends in courthouse design, uniting traditional features with the “modernistic” forms and ornamental vocabulary of Art Deco architecture. As shown on the 1930 Sanborn map, Mission Street was also closed between Tipton and Gay Streets, along the southern boundary of the square.
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