The original Courthouse was located in Manitowoc Rapids in the year 1839. It was 24' x 30', one story frame construction and cost $650.00. It was destroyed by fire in 1852. In 1853, the county seat changed from Manitowoc Rapids to the Village of Manitowoc and county buildings were erected there with completion in 1857.
In 1861, five city lots were purchased for a new county courthouse, and an adjoining two lots were added in 1875 to provide for parking. The Courthouse erected on this property served until replaced in 1906 by the present Courthouse building. The cost to rebuild the Courthouse was approximately $238,000.
The Courthouse was designed by Manitowoc architect Christ H. Tegen. The Beaux Arts, Neo-Classical "Temple of Justice" originally supported a glass dome, permitting light to stream into the interior rotunda. The dome was sheethed with stainless steel in 1948 following a particularly severe hailstorm.
The Manitowoc County Courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places by the Secretary of the Interior on April 16, 1981.
I recently bought a drawing by an artist called Odin J. Oyen , who lived in La Crosse Wisconsin between 1890 and 1926 as far as I can tell. I´m told it´s from 1902.
ReplyDeleteIt appears mr Tegen hired him to draw up the courthouse proposal. Which is why it just says O. J. Oyen. You can find several architectural drawings done by Oyen, they´re not exactly rare.
You an find the drawing here as I can´t seem to be able to upload it on this window. https://imgur.com/a/PnpsJx7
Hello Juan,
ReplyDeleteMurphy library at UW-La Crosse is trying to get high quality scans of as much of his work as possible. If you are in the area, please consider calling the library and asking for David about letting your materials be scanned in. They are scanning in the Wisconsin State Historic Society's collection (~300 pieces perhaps) and many more.
Thanks,
Nick