Webster County is named for Daniel Webster, who was a statesman, senator and the United States Secretary of State.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Dallas County and Laclede County
E – Wright County
S – Douglas County and Christian County
W – Greene County and Dallas County
Created: March 3, 1855
County Seat:
Marshfield 1855 – present
County Courthouse – Marshfield
Location: 101 South Crittenden Street / Madison Street
Built: 1939 – 1941
Style: Art Deco
Architect: Earl Hawkins of Springfield
Contractor: Earl Hawkins of Springfield under the Work Projects Administration and the WPA Engineer was L J McAdams.
Description: The building faces east and is a three story Carthage stone and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Marshfield. The west front has a central entrance on the first story and the center section rises higher than the north and south wings. The windows are vertical and the roof line is flat. In the interior, are duel staircases ascending to the second story. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located at the center of the second story. There is also a small courtroom on the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 30th Judicial Circuit. The building was a Work Projects Administration project.
See: The architect, Earl Hawkins designed courthouses in Howell County, Laclede County and Ozark County.
County Justice Center – Marshfield
Location: 101 North Crittenden Street / East Jefferson Street
Built: 2018 – 2020
Style: Modern
Architect: HMN Architects Inc. of Overland Park, Kansas
Contractor: Septagon Construction of Sedalia
Description: The building faces southwest and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Marshfield on the northeast side of the courthouse. The southwest front has a glass paneled entrance on the second story and large window above on the third story. Above, a large clock rises above the flat roof line. Along the south side is an arcade on the second story. On the north side the first story in above ground level along a sloping hill. In the interior is a two story entrance lobby. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located at the center of the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 30th Judicial Circuit.
Note: The County Justice Center was constructed on the site of the Robertson Block built in the late 1880’s by Daniel Wesley Robertson, a leading lumber dealer. The first story held various grocery and hardware businesses. The upper section of the old building is in the entrance lobby.
See: The 30th Judicial Circuit includes Benton County, Dallas County, Hickory County and Polk County.
History: The county was created in 1855 and Marshfield was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story wood frame structure built under the supervision of James M Allen as superintendent in 1856 to 1857. The courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1863 during the Civil War. The second courthouse was a two story brick structure built by Dr. E Hovey in 1867 to 1870 at a cost of $17,000. In 1880, the courthouse was damaged by a tornado and was repaired and cupola added by R P Goodall and Frank A Bradshaw. The courthouse was razed in 1939. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1939 to 1941 at a cost of $150,000. The County Justice Center was constructed in 2018 to 2020. At a cost of $18,500,000.
County Courthouse – Marshfield
County Circuit Court courtroom
County Circuit Court small courtroom
County Justice Center – Marshfield
Photos taken 2009 and 2023
Images 25*