Barton County is named for David Barton, who was one of the first United States Senators from Missouri.
Created: December 12, 1855
County Seat:
Lamar 1856 – present
County Courthouse – Lamar
Location: 1007 Broadway Street / West 10th Street
Built: 1887 – 1888
Style: Romanesque
Architect: W R Parsons and Son of Topeka, Kansas
Contractor: Morrison Brothers of Lamar
Description: The building faces east and is a two story St. Louis red colored brick and Barton County stone structure. The building is 80 by 120 feet. The east front has a small decorative portico on the first story with peaked roof. The center section projects slightly from the main building and rises to a peak. There are large square brick towers with peaked roofs on each corner.
Note: The first courthouse was built in 1856. The second courthouse was built in 1860 by George E Ward and was burned in November 1862 during the Civil War. In 1866, the third courthouse was designed by Samuel Cones, A H Gibbs and J C Gaston and built by Charles Van Pelt at a cost of $5,000. The cost of construction of the present courthouse was $32,500.
Courthouses:
N – Vernon County
E – Cedar County and Dade County
S – Jasper County
W – Crawford County, Kansas
Photos taken 2009