Grant County is named for Ulysses Grant, who led the Union forces to victory in the American Civil War and was elected President of the United States.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Harper County, Kansas and Sumner County, Kansas
E – Kay County
S – Garfield County
W – Alfalfa County
Created: November 6, 1893
County Seat:
Medford 1893 – present
County Courthouse – Medford
Location: 112 West Guthrie Street / Main Street
Built: 1909 – 1911
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Albert A Traver
Contractor: Rowles & Bailey of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Description: The building faces south and is a three story red colored brick, stone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Medford. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Medford. The south front of the building has a high portico with limestone arch on the first story and having four columns rising from the second story to the top of the third story with pediment above. The brickwork of the first story is laid in a pattern of four raised bricks separated by one recessed brick, running horizontally. Brick pilasters rise from just above the first story to the cornice. Windows have stone sills and lintel bands. The foundation is limestone. The pitched roof covered with red colored tiles. The building houses the County District Court of the 4th Judicial District. On the northeast side is the two story County Jail.
Note: The only other courthouse with a red colored tile roof is in Nowata County.
See: The contractor, Rowles & Bailey of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, constructed courthouses in Nebraska in Phelps County and Nemaha County; in North Dakota in Pembina County; and in Oklahoma in Jackson County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Grant County Courthouse
See: The 4th Judicial District includes Alfalfa County, Blaine County, Dewey County, Garfield County, Kingfisher County, Major County, Woods County and Woodward County.
History: The county was created in 1893 and Pond Creek was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a wood frame structure built by C B Franke, J W Berryman, H N Wasson, P T Walton and C S Watson in 1894. The courthouse was destroyed by fire on December 12, 1896. The county rented premises until the second courthouse, a brick structure was built in 1897. The county seat was moved to Medford in 1908. The county met in the Palmer Opera House until the third and present courthouse was constructed in 1909 to 1911 at a cost of $60,000.
County Courthouse – Medford
County Jail – Medford
Photos taken 2010