Jackson County (Mo.) Historical Society

Portals to the Past by David W. Jackson

Courthouse Restoration Nurtures Soul of the County

Jackson County’s Courthouse on Independence Square is a monument to the past and memorial to our future. This is the second of two installments looking back over the evolution of Jackson County’s Kansas City and Independence courthouses.

The 1907 courthouse on Independence Square served Jackson Countians 25 years until they, at the beginning of the Great Depression, passed a multimillion-dollar bond issue that allotted $200,000 for a new County Courthouse on Independence Square. The bond issue also allowed for the construction of a new, 28-story $4 million county courthouse in Kansas City, among numerous other public works. Dedicated September 7, 1933, the new building in Independence incorporated significant remnants from prior remodels back to the original 1836 brick courthouse.

During the remodeling, County Court sessions (akin to today’s County Legislature) were relocated to the 1828 log courthouse, which had been restored in 1916.

J. Bradley Pace, past-president of the Jackson County Historical Society, and author of, Survivors: A Catalog of Missouri’s Remaining 19^th Century County Courthouses, described the end-result of the 1933 remodeling as, a pleasing and elegant structure inspired by Independence Hall and resembling a Colonial Virginia meetinghouse.

Red colonial brick and white Indiana limestone trimmings punctuate classical columns and porticos on north and south. Above the east and west entrances are stone reliefs of an American eagle surrounded by a symbolic wreath of victory and progress. The seal of the State of Missouri can be found above the north portico, and the seal of Jackson County above the south portico.

After the 1872-vintage black clock face was painted white, and 14-inch long black Arabic numbers replaced gold leaf Roman numbers, it was incorporated into the new 45-feet-high, 15-feet square cupola that perches on steel girders directly above the 1836 load-bearing walls. Though it does not presently toll, the 1897 bell is still up there.

The grounds feature selected monuments and statues of interest, including: a west-facing equestrian statue of Andrew Jackson, Jackson County’s namesake, presented to Jackson Countians by Harry S Truman upon his election as President of the United States in 1949. A statue on the east end of Truman himself was dedicated May 8, 1976, by President Gerald R. Ford. Other markers commemorate Jackson County pioneers and the westward trails that funneled through Independence Square from the 1820s to 1860s.

Over the years many politicians, including several U.S. Presidents, have traveled to this historic landmark to politic, announce public policy, and pay homage to President Truman. No doubt, this tradition will continue as long as the building stands.

The building, no longer used as a hall of justice, is being renovated and converted into a visitor orientation center. Pace quoted travel expert Arthur Frommer, who said, “Tourism does not go to a city that has lost its soul. Pace added, The Square--and the Courthouse in particular--are certainly a big part of the soul of Independence and Jackson County.

Phase I of this project, now complete, stabilized the exterior of the structure. This included an exterior paint job; a new slate roof; brick tuck-pointing; and new energy-efficient, historically accurate windows.

A citizen’s task force co-chaired by Chuck Foudree and Barbara Potts are forging ahead with Phase II planning that includes removal in Spring 2008 of tons of Urban Renewal concrete to relieve water pressure on the Courthouse foundation. Restoring the courtyard to the 1933 design will add sidewalks and nearly 70 parking spaces around the Courthouse, said Potts, who is also former Independence Mayor and Executive Director of the Jackson County Historical Society.

The newly formed Friends of the Courthouse are assembling contributions that will fund restoration. Tax-deductible contributions can be made to "Independence Square Courthouse Fund" at the Truman Heartland Community Foundation.

From the Civil War and the Great Depression to urban renewal Jackson County’s Courthouse on Independence Square is a survivor.

Wind the clock today (a saying used by teenagers in the 1930s through 1960s who cruised one-way around the Courthouse Square); patronize renovated boutiques; enjoy the Courthouse and grounds; and, consider joining and/or volunteering with the Friends of the Courthouse.

Together we can overcome hurdles so that best laid plans may become a reality.