Morrill County - American Courthouses

Morrill County is named for Charles H Morrill, who was a president of the Lincoln Land Company which settled the area.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Box Butte County

E – Garden County

S – Cheyenne County

W – Banner County and Scotts Bluff County

Created: March 9, 1909

County Seat:

Bridgeport 1909 – present

County Courthouse – Bridgeport

Location: 600 L Street / 6th Street

Built: 1909 – 1910

Style: Classical Revival

Architect: J P Eisentraut Company of Kansas City, Missouri

Contractor: Winters & Short of Atwood, Kansas

Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored stone, buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Bridgeport. The building has a raised basement with red colored stone foundation. The east front has a projecting portico with four large square pillars supporting a pediment. Smooth molded stone capitals and bases contrast well with the rock-faced pedestals of the pavilion’s columns. A projecting cornice is below the flat roof line. Materials and motifs continue on the rear or west façade, but without the pavilions and their columns or pilasters. In the interior is a staircase with spindles and a paneled newel having a row of egg-and-dart pattern, large single pane transoms, original high ceilings, and simple wood coat racks with a series of metal hooks. The County District Court courtroom is located on the west side of the second story and occupies a large space emanating from the southwest corner of the building perhaps two-thirds of the floor space. The courtroom contains many fine original features, including the same spindles and newels of the staircase (here used for the bar separating spectators from the court), wood pews, and the original judge’s bench, which is outlined in the egg-and-dart pattern. The County Court courtroom is located on the southwest side of the first story. The building houses the District Court and County Court of the 12th Judicial District. Along the west side is the County Courthouse Annex.

See: The contractor, Winters & Short of Atwood, Kansas, also constructed the courthouse in Chase County.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Morrill County Courthouse

See: The 12th Judicial District includes Banner County, Box Butte County, Cheyenne County, Dawes County, Deuel County, Garden County, Grant County, Kimball County, Scotts Bluff County, Sheridan County and Sioux County.

History: The county was created in 1909 and Bridgeport was selected as the county seat. The first and present courthouse was constructed in 1909 to 1910 at a cost of $25,000.

County Courthouse Annex – Bridgeport

Location: 600 L Street / West 7th Street

Built: 1999 – 2000

Style: Modern

Architect: Howard G Duncan of Scotts Bluff

Contractor: Rusch’s Construction Inc. of Scotts Bluff

Description: The building faces west and is a one story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Bridgeport along the west side of the courthouse. The west front of the rectangular building has a central entrance. The building is connected to the courthouse on the east side. The roof is hipped. The building houses county offices.