The Polk County Courthouse in Osceola, Nebraska is a Beaux Arts-style building designed by architect

William F. Gernandt William F. Gernandt (September 1872-September 26, 1943. in David Murphy, Edward F. Zimmer, and Lynn Meyer, compsPlace Makers of Nebraska: The Architects. Lincoln: Nebraska State Historical Society.)was a German-born architect who was based in Nebr ...

. It was built in 1921-22 and is located on the Courthouse Square in Osceola. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. It is a two-story

courthouse A courthouse or court house is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English-spe ...

building on a raised basement, about in plan, with entrances on north and south facades. Its National Register nomination describes it as "a tour de force of classically inspired ornamentation rendered in creamcolored terra cotta and contrasting tan-grey brick. A variety of rich classical detail, immense columns, pronounced cornice, and rusticated basement are hallmarks of the Beaux Arts Style exhibited on the building. In particular, the terra cotta detail is a visual delight.

Acroteria An acroterion, acroterium, or akroteria is an architectural ornament placed on a flat pedestal called the ''acroter'' or plinth, and mounted at the apex or corner of the pediment of a building in the classical style. An acroterion placed at th ...

and rosettes march along the top of the projecting

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

, with consoles in an acanthus pattern and an egg-and-dart course below. Shields, della Robbia wreaths, swags, and geometric patterns further adorn the facade." With

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County courthouses in Nebraska National Register of Historic Places in Polk County, Nebraska Beaux-Arts architecture in Nebraska Government buildings completed in 1921 Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Nebraska {{Nebraska-NRHP-stub