{"nrhp_refnum":"74001392","name":"Allen County Courthouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Courthouse Sq.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Lima","county":"Allen County","state":"OH","lat":40.742983096000046,"lon":-84.10553481499994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-07-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A three-story Second Empire county courthouse on Courthouse Square in Lima, Allen County, Ohio, built 1881-1884 of rock-faced sandstone and designed by architect George H. Maetzel.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a good example of a Second Empire Ohio county courthouse by George H. Maetzel, who designed several of Ohio's finest surviving courthouses. Although not Maetzel's finest work, it is described as the best remaining architectural example of the 1880-1900 period in Lima.","narrative":"Allen County Courthouse, on Courthouse Square in Lima, Ohio, is a three-story Second Empire building completed between 1881 and 1884. It measures roughly 120 feet square and rises from a stone foundation, with walls of rock-faced sandstone set off by smooth stone quoins and belt courses. Two short mansard-roofed towers flank a projecting south pavilion with a two-story arched entrance, and a taller square tower holds a four-sided dome with four clock faces. Inside, a two-run stairway lies on the north side and the office-lined hallways remain unmodified. Architect George H. Maetzel, who designed several of Ohio's finest surviving courthouses, planned the building, and the county served as its own general contractor at a cost of $213,168. It replaced a frame courthouse of about 1835. A matching jail beside it was razed in the 1950s. The courthouse is regarded as the best remaining architectural example from Lima's 1880-1900 period.","period_of_significance":"19th Century (built 1881-1884)","architect_builder":"George H. Maetzel, architect; Allen County acted as its own general contractor","architectural_style":"Second Empire","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition, occupied and in government use; the interior offices are described as unmodified.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.041736-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/74001392.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001392/60b94c0249-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001392/60b94c0249-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":null,"credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lima-ohio-courthouse.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Unknown author</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lima-ohio-courthouse.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71986592","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allen_County_Courthouse_(Ohio)","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4731596"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/allen-county/allen-county-courthouse-74001392/"}