{"nrhp_refnum":"74001639","name":"Van Wert County Courthouse","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"121 E. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Van Wert","county":"Van Wert County","state":"OH","lat":40.86996721300005,"lon":-84.58184947899997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1974-07-30","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A county courthouse at 121 East Main Street in Van Wert, Ohio, built in 1874-76 in the Second Empire style. Architects were T. J. Tolan and Sons of Fort Wayne, Indiana.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it a fine example of Second Empire design and one of Ohio's outstanding courthouses. Its clock tower and zinc statue of Justice are noted as outstanding features. It is described as well cared for and little changed from its original construction.","narrative":"Van Wert County's third courthouse, at 121 East Main Street in Van Wert, Ohio, was built in 1874-76 to designs by T. J. Tolan and Sons of Fort Wayne, Indiana, at a cost of $109,921. The earlier courthouses were of logs and of frame construction. The square brick building has a stone foundation, corner towers, stone quoins, pilasters and columns, and slate mansard roofs. The south tower holds the main entrance and rises through a carved arch, a broken pediment and a statue of Justice to a clock stage and arcaded cupola. The eight-foot statue is handmade of zinc and reportedly won first place in a competition in Philadelphia before coming to Van Wert. The clock was made by the Boston Clock Company. Inside, the cast iron stairs, black and white tile corridor floors, and courtroom woodwork, judge's bench and jury box are original. The nomination presents it as a fine Second Empire building and one of Ohio's outstanding courthouses.","period_of_significance":"19th Century; specific date 1876","architect_builder":"T. J. Tolan and Sons of Fort Wayne, Indiana","architectural_style":"Second Empire","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed in good condition, marked as altered (iron railings at tower rooflines removed); owned by the county commissioners and used for government.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:10.123192-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/74001639.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001639/e3136e11c5-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/74001639/e3136e11c5-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Derek Jensen (Tysto)","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Van-wert-ohio-courthouse2.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Derek Jensen (Tysto)</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Van-wert-ohio-courthouse2.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991794","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Wert_County_Courthouse","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7913764"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/van-wert-county/van-wert-county-courthouse-74001639/"}