Courthouse is Truman landmark

November 3, 7:22 PMKansas City Landmarks ExaminerKaron Tripp

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Photo: Karon Tripp
 

In the early 1930’s Harry S. Truman, then presiding judge of Jackson County Missouri, received two projects as a part of the “Ten Year Plan” bond initiative. His first project was to complete a county highway system, and second to build a new Jackson county courthouse in Kansas City. The courthouse is part of the city government plaza which makes these historic Art Deco landmarks easy to view with minimal walking.

Truman began work on the highway plan immediately after the election. When it was completed, he threw a barbeque for every citizen and taxpayer of Jackson County so they could eat up their share of the surplus bond money. Tens of thousands came resulting in the biggest traffic jam in Jackson County history.

Next was the task of replacing the outdated 1892 courthouse building. The county acquired the block bounded by 12th and 13th Streets, Oak and Locust. Then Truman visited many of the newer courthouse structures in the country to avoid any possible errors in arrangement and design.

The new building, constructed of Indiana limestone, while only 14 stories tall is equal in height to a 28 story building. The circuit court rooms are actually two floors tall with balcony offices in each courtroom. The grand entryway is lined with marble from Italy, Germany, and France, although, seventy percent of the marbles used in the interior decoration are from Missouri quarries.

The dedication on December 27, 1934 was timed to coincide with the judicial conference in Kansas City. US Supreme Court Justice Pierce Butler spoke, with the federal judges of the Middle West in the background. In her first dedication ceremony, Margaret Truman led a troop of little girls in unveiling the statue of President Jackson.

Truman had been elected to the U.S. Senate the month before and maintained an office in the new courthouse building during most of his first term.