Valley County | US Courthouses

Valley County is named for the many valleys in the area.

Created: March 1, 1871

County Seat:

Ord 1873 – present

County Courthouse – Ord

Location: 125 South 15th Street / L Street

Built: 1920 – 1921

Style: Beaux Arts

Architect: William F Gernandt of Omaha

Contractor: Henry Ohlsen & Sons Company

Description: The building faces west and is a three story red colored brick, terra cotta and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds and is a rectangular shape set upon a raised basement. The west front has an ornate entrance with six large columns rising to a decorated stone frieze. The entrance on the first story is framed with light colored stone and above is a semi-circular stone balcony at the second story. A horizontal stone band runs below the first story windows and below the flat roof line. There are decorated stone headers above the first story windows.

Note: The cost of construction of the courthouse was $189,821. The heating and plumbing contract was awarded to John A Anderson Company of Omaha for $33,729 and the electrical contract was awarded to William W Berger of Omaha for $2905.

Note: The previous courthouse was designed by Duferene Louis Mendelssohn and constructed in 1885.

See: The architect, William F Gernandt of Omaha, designed courthouses in Clay County, Dawson County, Merrick County, Pawnee County, Phelps County, Polk County, Richardson County, Sarpy County and Webster County.