The Hanging Court

Title

The Hanging Court

Artist

Lynn Sprowl

Medium

Photograph - Photography

Description

The Hanging Court by Lynn Sprowl.
The building to the left of the Courthouse is the historic Fairplay jail.
Seven years after Fairplay became the county seat, local officials replaced a small log courthouse (now in South Park City Museum) with this impressive Italianate style structure constructed of native red sandstone. Along with the stone jail (northwest of the Courthouse), the building witnessed a parade of the famous, the notorious, and the ordinary, including Johnny Hoover who was hung by vigilantes from a second-story window in 1880. As a result of this incident, it has been referred to as the "hanging court" for well over 100 years. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, it now houses county offices and a public library. Erected in 1874, two years before Colorado achieved statehood, the Old Park County Courthouse housed county court functions for 132 years and continues to actively serve the public today. Essentially unchanged since the time of its construction, the building's period of significance ranges from 1874 to 1964 and is notable for its architectural qualities, for the information that may be derived about early construction techniques in an isolated area, for its contribution to local settlement, and for its 140-year role in the administration of law and government in Park County. The Courthouse is prominently located along Colorado Highway 9 on the Courthouse Square in Fairplay, Colorado, centered on a wide lawn that also includes the historic county jail. The building is characterized by its red sandstone walls and Italianate design features. The use of locally sourced red sandstone connects the building to the landscape of Park County, adding a regional flavor to its design and emphasizing the role of the Courthouse as a symbol of the county. The size of the Courthouse, its decorative features, and its striking red sandstone walls set the building apart from other structures in Fairplay and identify the Courthouse as a public building of great importance to the community. The Park County Courthouse and Jail were listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and was designated as a Park County Historic Landmark in 1999.

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October 25th, 2018

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