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Historic Bates County Courthouse in Missouri
George E. McDonald designed three other courthouses
The architecture of the Bates County Courthouse is interesting because, at first glance, I see a gothic institution with impressive architecture.
Bates County Courthouse was built in 1902. There is a lot of stone in the foundation and walls of his building. The historic value of this two-and-a-half-story courthouse rests in Butler, Missouri on the courthouse square. Butler is the county seat of Bates County.
The architectural design is Richardsonian Romanesque. The architect was George E. McDonald from Lincoln, Nebraska, who also designed other courthouses. The courthouse is made from limestone from Carthage, Missouri. McDonald’s design included a metal replica of the Statue of Liberty on top of the tower to represent freedom. which stood atop the central tower, symbolizing freedom.
All four McDonald courthouses, constructed in Andrew, Lawrence, Johnson and Bates Counties, were essentially the same although three different building materials were used. The Andrew, Lawrence, and Johnson County Courthouses were listed in the National Register of Historic Places on September 11, 1980, September 23, 1980, and April 7, 1994, respectively. (Source.)
