Jackson County Courthouse in

Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...

is located at 415 East 12th Street in

Downtown Kansas City Downtown Kansas City is the central business district (CBD) of Kansas City, Missouri and the Kansas City metropolitan area. It is between the Missouri River in the north, to 31st Street in the south; and from the Kansas–Missouri state line east ...

and houses judicial and administrative offices for the western portion of the county. It was built in 1934, designed by

Wight and Wight Wight and Wight, known also as Wight & Wight, was an architecture firm in Kansas City, Missouri consisting of the brothers Thomas Wight (September 17, 1874 – October 6, 1949) and William Wight (January 22, 1882 – October 29, 1947) who d ...

in an

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...

style.

Harry S. Truman Harry S. Truman (May 8, 1884December 26, 1972) was the 33rd president of the United States, serving from 1945 to 1953. A leader of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 34th vice president from January to April 1945 under Franklin ...

, presiding judge of the Jackson County Court at the time, wanted it designed similar to the

Caddo Parish, Louisiana Caddo Parish (French language, French: ''Paroisse de Caddo'') is a Parish (administrative division), parish located in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the parish ...

courthouse in

Shreveport, Louisiana Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population of 393,406 in 2020, is t ...

Edward F. Neild Edward Fairfax Neild Sr. (December 3, 1884 – July 6, 1955), was an American architect originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, Shreveport, Louisiana. He designed the Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum in Independence, Missouri, ...

. The latter architect was hired as consulting architect-engineer. Neild was later commissioned to design the

Truman Presidential Library The Harry S. Truman Presidential Library and Museum is the presidential library and resting place of Harry S. Truman, the 33rd president of the United States (1945–1953), his wife Bess and daughter Margaret, and is located on U.S. Highwa ...

, but died before it was completed. Andrew Jackson statue County Courthouse KC Missouri

History

In 1872 an unfinished hotel building located at 2nd and Main St was adapted by

Asa Beebe Cross Asa Beebe Cross (December 9, 1826 in New Jersey - August 18, 1894) was an American architect. He studied architecture under Thomas Walsh and John Johnson. He primarily worked in Kansas City where it is estimated that he designed more than 1,000 st ...

for use as the Jackson County Courthouse. In 1922, Harry S. Truman won election as county judge for eastern Jackson County as a candidate of the

Tom Pendergast Thomas Joseph Pendergast (July 22, 1872 – January 26, 1945), also known as T. J. Pendergast, was an American political boss who controlled Kansas City and Jackson County, Missouri, from 1925 to 1939. Pendergast only briefly held elected ...

faction of the

Democratic Party Democratic Party most often refers to: *Democratic Party (United States) Democratic Party and similar terms may also refer to: Active parties Africa *Botswana Democratic Party *Democratic Party of Equatorial Guinea *Gabonese Democratic Party *Demo ...

. He failed to be re-elected in 1924, but won election as presiding judge in 1926. Truman served in this position, in effect as county commissioner, for eight years. He divided his time between this courthouse and the eastern courthouse in Independence.

Current courthouse

This building replaced the previous Kansas City courthouse annex at 5th and Oak, which officials deemed unsafe. Voters approved a $4 million bond issue in 1931 for construction of the courthouse and adjacent

Kansas City City Hall Kansas City City Hall is the official seat of government for the city of Kansas City, Missouri. Located in downtown, it is a 29-story skyscraper with an observation deck. Completed in 1937, the building has a Beaux-Arts and Art-Deco style with ...

; the structure was dedicated in December 1934. Truman maintained an office in the new courthouse building during most of his first term as

U.S. Senator The United States Senate is the upper chamber of the United States Congress, with the House of Representatives being the lower chamber. Together they compose the national bicameral legislature of the United States. The composition and powe ...

, from 1935 to 1939. The courthouse contains an elaborate painted ceiling on the second floor featuring portraits of county employees. The mural was completed by artist Chris Doyle in 2006. In the lobby are five medallions representing Faith, Authority, Justice, Aspiration, and Progress, sculpted in white and bronze by Kansas City sculptor

Jorgen Dreyer Jørgen Christian Dreyer (December 26, 1877 – November 17, 1948) was a Norwegian-born American sculptor. He emigrated to the United States in 1903 and worked as a professor of sculpture at the Kansas City Art Institute from 1907 to 1909. In his ...

References

County courthouses in Missouri Skyscraper office buildings in Kansas City, Missouri Art Deco architecture in Missouri {{Missouri-struct-stub Government buildings completed in 1934 Downtown Kansas City 1934 establishments in Missouri