Feature 174: 112 West Lexington Avenue (in 2011)

Classification: Contributing.
Historic Name: Jackson County Courthouse.
Architectural Style: Colonial Revival.
Construction Date: 1836/1848/1872/1907/1933.
Period 3 of Harry S Truman's Life: Developing Political Skills and Associations, 1920-1933.
Tax Identification: None - government building.
Legal Description: Old Town, block 12.
Description: Contributing two-story masonry and stone county government building; rectangular in shape and symmetrical in plan, the building occupies the entire block; main center section with rectangular wings at each end; hip roof over central sections, covered with slate, and flat roof over two wings; parapet wall constructed of brick and limestone extends above the roof eaves; forty-five-foot cupola with square base, constructed of wood and artificially corroded copper, rises from the roof; single chimneys located at the east and west ends of the central section; plain red brick walls along with Indiana limestone, concrete, and Vermont slate exterior materials; limestone quoins at the corners of the two wings; four, two-story, classical, tetrastyle porticoes with unfluted limestone columns and two pilasters that accentuate the main entrances on the north and south facades; rectangular window openings; first floor--jack-arched windows with double keystone and nine-over-nine double-hung sash windows; second floor--single keystone, six-over-nine double-hung sash windows; limestone decorative features, including carved panels over the six second-floor windows adjacent to the porticoes, the chimney tops, the balustrades, and the bas-reliefs; limestone foundation with full basement. The building stands alone on large elevated parcel at the center of the downtown commercial business district. Limestone steps and concrete path leading to main entrances; interior sidewalks extend east to west along the site; shrubs and trees scattered on lot. Scattered plaques and statues around the courthouse include: A marker commemorating Jackson County pioneers and Revolutionary War soldiers was erected at the southeast corner in 1932; a marker commemorating Santa Fe Trial pioneers was erected at the southwest corner by the Daughters of the American Revolution in 1909; and an Oregon Trail commemorative marker was erected in 1948 at the northwest corner.
• Alterations: The building has been remodeled five times since its construction in 1836; the original 1836 building is now enclosed by subsequent remodels, but is still visible from interior attic; 1848 remodel in the Colonial style with six columns extending from the ground to the roof on all four sides, cupola replaced the original spire; 1872 remodel in Second French Empire style with porches and balconies on north and south sides of building, square clock tower that replaced cupola, wing added on east side; 1887 remodel involved connecting the courthouse to a new two-story annex with colonnades, clock tower modified; 1907 remodel involved re-facing the exterior with yellow brick, shortening and squaring the tower; 1933 remodel most extensive involved removing additions to the 1836 courthouse and rebuilding a much larger Colonial Revival style building.
o Jackson County and the City of Independence undertook a series of renovations in 2008 to restore the site to its 1933 appearance and address serious water infiltration and foundation issues. A concrete retaining wall that had encircled the east side of the property, added during Urban Renewal of the 1950s-1960s, was removed to expose the window wells and aid in the flow of water away from the building. Aerial photographs and plans from the 1933 Courthouse renovation, overseen by Truman, were utilized to help return the Courthouse grounds to a more historic appearance. Original diagonal street parking on Lexington and Maple was also restored, adding 70 parking spaces on the Square. Minimal landscaping was also re-introduced to the site.
• Two statues are considered contributing resources due to their size and historical importance: A statue of Andrew Jackson [Feature 175] placed near the west entrance by Harry Truman in 1949 and a statue of Harry S Truman [Feature 176] located near the east entrance of the courthouse.
History/Significance: The Jackson County Courthouse has been closely associated with Harry Truman's early career in government and, later on, it served as a visual backdrop for political leaders eager to identify themselves with President Truman and his legacy.
The Jackson County Courthouse housed the office of Harry S Truman during his service as eastern judge (1922-1924) and then presiding judge (1926-1934). Truman's tenure as a Jackson County judge laid the political foundation for his eventual election as President of the United States in 1948. Harry S Truman's brother-in-law, architect David Frederick Wallace, of the Kansas City firm of Keene and Simpson, designed the building.