Adams County Courthouse
600 Adams Ave., Hettinger, NDThe Adams County Courthouse is significant for providing space for county offices and court trails, and for protecting valuable records of property, government and commerce. The building also exhibits an architecturally significant design from an architect who won many commissions for courthouses in the state. This project preceded that of the Burleigh County Courthouse for architect Rush, and differs dramatically in style. The horizontal composition and decorative elements of the Hettinger courthouse lean toward the federalist revival style, which was declining in popularity among leading designers in the state by the end of the 1920's. Rush uses the massing of vertical composition and the spandrels in a way more akin to Art Deco effects. The building, then, demonstrates the movement toward the dominant courthouse style of the 1930's. County Commissioners required Rush to simplify his original design because of expense. It is conceivable that Rush reduced costs by modifying a Deco design to include more conventional (and less costly) classically inspired features. Finally, the recent change in window types has preserved the original vertical emphasis given by the wooden mullions.
Local significance of the building:Listed in National Register of Historic Places in 1985.
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.