Gasconade County is named for the Gasconade River which river derives its name from the French word “gascon” meaning “braggart” and could be an old satirical name describing those who boast about their adventures upon return to St. Louis.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Montgomery County and Warren County
E – Franklin County
S – Crawford County and Phelps County
W – Maries County and Osage County
Created: November 25, 1820
County Seat:
Gasconade City 1821 – 1825
Bartonville 1825 – 1832
Mount Sterling 1832 – 1842
Hermann 1842 – present
County Courthouse – Hermann
Location: 119 East 1st Street / Market Street
Built: 1897 – 1898
Style: Beaux Arts
Architect: Jerome Bibb Legg of St. Louis and A W Elsner of Jefferson City
Contractor: H J Wallau.
Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick, stone and concrete structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of a bluff overlooking the Missouri River in the center of Hermann. The south front has a portico with three arches on the first story and eight thin Corinthian columns on the second story with pediment above. The building is 143 feet by 88 feet. The base of the building is course limestone. On the center of the roof is an octagonal dome with gold colored roof. In the interior is a central rotunda rising to the top of the second story which has murals painted in 1996 by area artists depicting the history of the County . The County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 20th Judicial Circuit. In 1905, fire destroyed the dome and damaged the second story. A new gold colored roof was installed in 2017.
Note: The Courthouse is thought to be one of the few courthouses in the United States built entirely with private funds. Hermann businessman, Charles Eitzen, bequeathed $50,000 to Gasconade County for construction and furnishing of a new courthouse. A statue of Eitzen is on display on the front lawn. Also on display on the grounds is the cannon used to defend Hermann in 1864 during the Civil War. Bricklayers brushed bricks with beer (cheaper than vinegar ) to make them shine and even out the color.
See: The architect, Jerome Bibb Legg of St. Louis, Missouri, also designed the courthouse in Ballard County, Kentucky and in Shelby County, St. Charles County and Ste. Genevieve County, Missouri.
See: The 20th Judicial District covers Franklin County and Osage County.
History: The county was created in 1820 and Gasconade City was selected as the county seat in 1821. The first court met in private homes. The county seat was moved to Bartonville in 1825. The first courthouse located at was a two story log structure built by Joshua Cox in 1830 at a cost of $300. Because of flooding, the county seat was moved to Mount Sterling in 1832 and then to Hermann in 1842. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure built in Hermann in 1842 at a cost of $3,000. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1897 to 1898 at a cost of $41,500.
County Courthouse (white dome) – Hermann
County Courthouse (gold domes 2017)
Statue of Charles Eitzen
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2009 and 2024
Images 18*