Antelope County Courthouse
501--511 Main St., Neligh, NEThe Antelope County Courthouse symbolizes Neligh's growth and prosperity in the nineteenth century. It is both one of the oldest courthouse buildings still in use and one of about 10 remaining nineteenth-century courthouses in Nebraska.
When Antelope County was organized, the small settlement of Oakdale in the southeastern part of the county was selected as the county seat. In 1873, Neligh was founded in a more central location, and efforts began to move the county seat there. After a bitter struggle, Neligh won out and the county offices moved there in 1883. From 1883 to 1894, the offices were housed in two rented buildings, costing the county $1,000 a year. Several elections were held to pass bond issues for the construction of a courthouse building but were defeated by the vote of outlying precincts, particularly in the Oakdale area. On June 5, 1894, a proposal for a tax levy for the purpose of building a courthouse was finally passed.
The building plans drawn by George E. MacDonald of Lincoln were selected, but later were found to be incomplete, and Fred Thornton of Neligh finished the drawings. J. N. Mills was hired as the contractor with the stipulation that he was to hire county labor for the work. Also, he was to give preference to homework and materials whenever possible. On August 2, construction of the building began. The courthouse was finished at a cost of $15,238 and dedicated on January 11, 1895.
With the completion of the courthouse, the location of the county seat was permanently fixed in Neligh. Neligh became the most important town in the county with the benefit of being the county seat and also having a successful flour
mill.
As county government grew, the courthouse proved inadequate for housing all county offices. By 1900, the sheriff's office and jail were moved into the former Gates College Gymnasium which the county purchased for $800. In 1966, a separate annex building for the county clerk, treasurer, and other offices was built to the north of the courthouse. However, the annex's building and the deteriorated clock tower's removal ensured the continued use of the old courthouse.
Because of necessary replacement, nineteenth-century courthouses have become a relative rarity in Nebraska. Rather than destroy and build new, Antelope County continued to use the original structure. The Antelope County Courthouse represents the progress of its people and was the most impressive building in the county. Today it is an excellent example of the many courthouses built in the nineteenth century that have since been torn down to make way for modern structures.
Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
The National Register of Historic Places is the official list of the Nation’s historic places worthy of preservation. Authorized by the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, the National Park Service’s National Register of Historic Places is part of a national program to coordinate and support public and private efforts to identify, evaluate, and protect America’s historic and archeological resources.