Weld County Court House

Weld County Court House. . , The Weld County Court House was designed by architect William N. Bowman, with construction beginning in 1915 and dedication celebrated on July 4, 1917. The building cost $414,000 and was financed entirely by taxes without a bond issue. , , The structure is unique to Weld County and predominantly shows a four-story Classical Revival style. The outside walls, cornices, and columns are of Indiana limestone and terra cotta. The east main entrance doors and most lighting fixtures are bronze. The main entrance focuses on a grand staircase to the upper floors. With an eye for permanence, Bowman designed this virtually fireproof building without wood, except for staircase handrails and balustrades. The court house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. , Weld County was one of the original 17 counties created by the Territorial Legislature in 1861. Greeley became the county seat in 1877 after a series of hotly contested and highly controversial elections. The first structure to serve as court house was a cottonwood log cabin now located at Centennial Village Museum. The second courthouse featured a Mansard-style roof and was built in 1883. It was later razed to make room for the present structure.