Baxter County Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The Baxter County Courthouse is a courthouse
in Mountain Home, Arkansas
, United States
, the county seat
of Baxter County
, built in 1941. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1995. The building replaced another courthouse on the same site which was deemed unsafe in 1939.
from parts of four neighboring counties. The county seat was established at Mountain Home
, which was a community atop a plateau between the North Fork River and White River
.
in Baxter County which opened the area to commerce in 1928. The courthouse was expanded from two to three stories as a method to keep the county seat in Mountain Home in response to a 1912 state law which kept county seats from moving out of three story buildings. Ruthven acquired the services of T. Ewing Shelton, an architect
from Fayetteville, Arkansas
to draft plans for a new courthouse. The plans were received and approved by voters, despite protests by Gassville
and Cotter
residents who wanted the county seat relocated to their cities with greater populations.
During the 1940s, Baxter County was very depressed economically and the Works Progress Administration
(WPA) was active in the county. Mountain Home was a shrinking community with little industry and few paved roads. As a county, Baxter County saw many farmers abandon their farms and move away during thr 1940s. Construction began on the Norfork Dam
in 1941 and the Bull Shoals Dam
in 1947. The courthouse project received state approval as a WPA project the following year and construction began after razing the old courthouse in August 1941.
Courthouse
A courthouse 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 speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
in Mountain Home, Arkansas
Mountain Home, Arkansas
Mountain Home is a city in and the county seat of Baxter County, Arkansas, United States, in the southern Ozark Mountains.It was recently listed in the top 20 cities in the U.S. for sportsmen in the current edition of Outdoor Life magazine, was recently ranked #2 for Field and Stream's Best Fishing...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the county seat
County seat
A county seat is an administrative center, or seat of government, for a county or civil parish. The term is primarily used in the United States....
of Baxter County
Baxter County, Arkansas
Baxter County is a county located in the U.S. state of Arkansas. It is in the northern part of the state, and shares a border with Missouri. It is commonly referred to as the Twin Lakes Area because it is bordered by two of Arkansas' largest lakes, Bull Shoals Lake and Norfork Lake...
, built in 1941. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1995. The building replaced another courthouse on the same site which was deemed unsafe in 1939.
History
Baxter County was established on March 24, 1873 by the Arkansas General AssemblyArkansas General Assembly
The Arkansas General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Arkansas. The legislature is a bicameral body composed of the upper house Arkansas Senate with 35 members, and the lower Arkansas House of Representatives with 100 members. All 135 representatives and state senators...
from parts of four neighboring counties. The county seat was established at Mountain Home
Mountain Home, Arkansas
Mountain Home is a city in and the county seat of Baxter County, Arkansas, United States, in the southern Ozark Mountains.It was recently listed in the top 20 cities in the U.S. for sportsmen in the current edition of Outdoor Life magazine, was recently ranked #2 for Field and Stream's Best Fishing...
, which was a community atop a plateau between the North Fork River and White River
White River (Arkansas)
The White River is a 722-mile long river that flows through the U.S. states of Arkansas and Missouri.-Course:The source of the White River is in the Boston Mountains of northwest Arkansas, in the Ozark-St. Francis National Forest southeast of Fayetteville...
.
Building the courthouse
County Judge R. M. Ruthven declared the county courthouse to be unsafe and too small for county needs in 1939. Ruthven was instrumental in the construction of the Cotter BridgeCotter Bridge
The Cotter Bridge, also known as the R.M. Ruthven Bridge and the White River Concrete Arch Bridge, carries the business route of U.S. Route 62 across the White River west of the city of Cotter in Baxter County, Arkansas, USA. Upon completion, the bridge allowed access to a part of The Ozarks...
in Baxter County which opened the area to commerce in 1928. The courthouse was expanded from two to three stories as a method to keep the county seat in Mountain Home in response to a 1912 state law which kept county seats from moving out of three story buildings. Ruthven acquired the services of T. Ewing Shelton, an architect
Architect
An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
from Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville, Arkansas
Fayetteville is the county seat of Washington County, and the third largest city in Arkansas. The city is centrally located within the county and is home to the University of Arkansas. Fayetteville is also deep in the Boston Mountains, a subset of The Ozarks...
to draft plans for a new courthouse. The plans were received and approved by voters, despite protests by Gassville
Gassville, Arkansas
Gassville is a city in Baxter County, Arkansas, United States. According to the 2000 census, the city population was 1,706.-Geography:Gassville is located at ....
and Cotter
Cotter, Arkansas
Cotter is a city in Baxter County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 970 at the 2010 census.-History:Originally, the river bend was known as Lake's Ferry. In 1905, the Missouri Pacific Railroad bought the area and sold over one thousand lots, mostly to railroad employees. The city was...
residents who wanted the county seat relocated to their cities with greater populations.
During the 1940s, Baxter County was very depressed economically and the Works Progress Administration
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration was the largest and most ambitious New Deal agency, employing millions of unskilled workers to carry out public works projects, including the construction of public buildings and roads, and operated large arts, drama, media, and literacy projects...
(WPA) was active in the county. Mountain Home was a shrinking community with little industry and few paved roads. As a county, Baxter County saw many farmers abandon their farms and move away during thr 1940s. Construction began on the Norfork Dam
Norfork Dam
Norfork Dam is a large dam in northern Arkansas southeast of Mountain Home. It dams North Fork River and creates Norfork Lake. The top of the dam supports a 2-lane roadway, part of AR 177.-History:...
in 1941 and the Bull Shoals Dam
Bull Shoals Dam
Bull Shoals Dam is a concrete gravity dam on the White River in northern Arkansas in the United States. The dam lies on the border of Marion and Baxter Counties, and forms Bull Shoals Lake, which extends well northwest into Missouri. Its main purposes are hydroelectricity production and flood...
in 1947. The courthouse project received state approval as a WPA project the following year and construction began after razing the old courthouse in August 1941.
Opening
The new building was unveiled for county courthouse functions in August 1943. It contained all county offices, a courtroom, office space to be rented to lawyers, and the county library. Today many offices have left the courthouse.See also
- Cotter BridgeCotter BridgeThe Cotter Bridge, also known as the R.M. Ruthven Bridge and the White River Concrete Arch Bridge, carries the business route of U.S. Route 62 across the White River west of the city of Cotter in Baxter County, Arkansas, USA. Upon completion, the bridge allowed access to a part of The Ozarks...
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Baxter County, ArkansasNational Register of Historic Places listings in Baxter County, ArkansasThis is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Baxter County, Arkansas.This is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Baxter County, Arkansas, United States...