Geary County | US Courthouses

Geary County is named for John W Geary, who was a Governor of the State of Kansas.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Riley County

E – Wabaunsee County

S – Morris County

W – Dickinson County and Clay County

Created: March 7, 1889

County Seat:

Junction City 1889 – present

County Courthouse – Junction City

Location: 139 East 8th Street / North Washington Street

Built: 1899 – 1900

Style: Richardsonian Romanesque

Architect: J C Holland and Company of Topeka

Contractor: J C Ziegler, H H Ziegler & J T Dalton of Junction City

Description: The building faces south and is a three story yellow colored limestone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Junction City. The magnesium limestone was quartered in the nearby bluffs. The building has a raised basement as the first story. The south front has a projecting porch on the second story with large arch and recessed entrance. Above the entrance rises a six story square stone tower. On either side of the front are projecting sections rising to peaks above the roof line. The roof is hipped. In the interior, there are four courtrooms with courtroom 1 on the north side of the second story and courtrooms 2 to 4 on the third story. The building was renovated in 1999. The architect was Bruce McMillan AIA Architect PA and the contractor was Sunflower Builders. On the east side is the County Jail built in 1951 with 1983 addition. In 2022 to 2023, a one story security entrance was constructed on the west side of the courthouse. The architect was Brett Dean Architect and the contractor was Cheney Construction Inc.

See: The architect, J C Holland and Company of Topeka, designed courthouses in Clay County and Mitchell County; and in Nebraska in Jefferson County. Holland and Son designed courthouses in Ness County and Rice County. With Frank C Squires, he designed courthouses in Riley County and Thomas County. With Charles W Squires, he designed the courthouses in Marion County and Osborne County.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Junction City Downtown Historic District

See: The 8th Judicial District includes Dickinson County, Marion County and Morris County.

History: The county was created in 1855 as Davis County with county seat at Riley City and at Ashland in 1859. Junction City became the county seat in 1860 and a courthouse was erected. The county used the second story of the P Z Taylor Building until it burned in 1866. The county moved into the stone Land Office building in 1867. In 1873, a courthouse addition was built. In 1889, the name of the county was changed to Geary County. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1899 to 1900 at a cost of $35,000.

County Office Building – Junction City

Location: 200 East 8th Street / North Franklin Street

Built: Unknown

Style: Modern

Architect: Tim Clark

Contractor: Cheney Construction, Inc.

Description: The building faces north and is a one story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Junction City to the east of the courthouse. The north front has an arched entrance at the center. The roof is hipped.