Wichita eagle., 1888-05-06
COURT HOUSE.
MIR. MCPHERSON EMPLOYED TO
PREPARE PLANS.
Plans and Specifications Submitted
and Looked Upon Favorably.

The county commissioners at their meet
! ing Yesterday employed Mr.. w. r. Nc
| Pherson as architect for the court house.
| Mr.. Mcpherson came to the city about one
year ago from indianapolis and has made
court house designing a speciality. He has
erected such buildings at Franklin, In
diana Ann Arbor, Michigan; Clarksville,
| Tennessee: and under Garfield was super
vising architect of the treasury depart
ment. He has strong letters of recon-
mendation as a gentleman of ability,
among them being one from United States
Senator c. T. Manderson, of Nebraska.
Mr. Mcpherson has given general out
line of the building for this county which
has been examined by the commissioners.
1t is looked upon with such a de-
gree of favor that it seems quite
probable that they will be accepted. The
plans call for an east and west front of
ninety-eight feet, and north and south
front of one hundred and eighty feet. The
basement will be used for boiler room and
janitors, county surveyors office, coroner
and superintendent of schools. The first
floor viii contain the main Offices of the
county, including treasurer, auditor, clerk
sheriff. Each Office will be provided with
washbowls and closets. The second floor
will be divided into two court rooms with
judges room, consultation rooms, rooms
for witnesses. jury room, all opening into
the court rooms.
The third story will be used for grand
jury quarters, committees and several
small rooms for general purposes.
The building will cost about
$780, being built of pressed brick
with stone trimmings and located on the
center of the block From grade line to
cornice it will be fifty-eight feet; grade to
dial of clock, 145 feet, and to the top of the
cupalo 100 feet.
Mr.. Mcpherson, in speaking of the ar
chitecture Of the building, says: The
style of architecture is new Greek, slightly
sprinkled with Romanesque, conbina-
tion, which, when skillfully handled as
sures the grandest results, especially in
public buildings.
This combination is chosen in prefer
ence to the sombre styles that have be-
come in manner conventional in houses
of this class, a love for which still
hampers the profession and which gen.
orally gives to court houses where
followed, as -bastile appearance totally
foreign from the purposes, for which they
are intended, | have endeavored (and at
the risk of charge of egotism) and [
think successfully, to give the submitted
plan that character of stateliness and re-
pose that should be considered inseparable
from house in which it is intended to
transact the business of a wealthy county
| have, therefore, escheved the cumber-
some, uninviting styles that have de
scend to us from the barberous ages when
courts of justice and places of punishment
were under one roof, as we'll as the friv-
olous, airy styles no less in vogue and
equally incompatible.
THE BUILDING
Is in the form of compound Greek cross,
with pavillions at the corners and each
side of the centers. The basement story is
composed of heavy rustic block of quarry
fracture The first story will be
composed of the same rustic
blocks. The remaining portion
of the building will have columns and
pilasters, which will have the proportion
of the Corinthian order, or nearly so, but
with different treatment, the capitals of
which will be a composite, with plain
modilians and dental cornice, and will
have an attic story over the centers and
corner pavillions with an appropriate
cornice The center and corner pavillions
will terminate with heavy step blocking
The ends will have colonales of four COL
umns, and are fanked with two massive
pavillions, which gives it both dignity and
repose. On the other two fronts are four
column porticos with gable treatment,
which makes grand and imposing feat
ure in the design and is the keynote to the
whole composition.
The entrances TO the basement are eight
in number, one-half of which is occupied
by a large hail. the other contains six
rooms, and may be used for offices
or any other purpose the commissioners
may elect
The other portions of the building l
have already described to you and will con-
clude by saying that acoustics and venti-
lation of the entire building will be I'M
surpassed. The building is to be heated
by steam throughout, for which ample
facilities will be furnished, to
be accomplished by both direct and indi-
rect radiation.
ABIRD EMPORIUM.
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