This is actually the fifth courthouse
of Johnson County (not counting the courts that were held in town
member's homes).
The first courthouse was a log cabin. The two
following it were destroyed by fire. The fourth was a temporary
structure.
Finally, County Commissioners made plans for the
current-day courthouse and resolved to erect it on March 26, 1879. Four
months later, they adopted the plans of architect George W. Buenting.
The contract to erect the courthouse was awarded on September 8, 1879,
to Farman & Pierce for approximately $100,000.00.
The construction of the courthouse took a little
more than two years. On August 31, 1882, county officers moved into the
new building.
In 1982 an annex was built. In 1983 and 1984 the
courthouse itself was rennovated.
We doubt that any of the previous courthouses were
grander than this one.
The building is on the National Register of Historic
Places