Waukesha County is named for a Potawatomi Native American word meaning “little foxes”.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Dodge County and Washington County
E – Milwaukee County
S – Racine County and Walworth County
W – Jefferson County
Created: January 31, 1846
County Seat:
Waukesha 1846 – present
County Courthouse – Waukesha
Location: 515 West Moreland Boulevard / Pewaukee Road
Built: 1958 – 1959
Style: Modern
Architect: Foss and Jansma, Inc.
Contractor: Oliver Construction Company of Oconomowoc
Description: The building faces north and is a three story glass, brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Waukesha. The building is “L” shaped and the center section is glass with vertical dividers. The entrance is also glass and extends from the main building. On the west side is a three story wing with the third story recessed and horizontal windows. The roof line is flat. In 1989, the Justice Center was completed in the Government Complex. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 3rd Judicial Circuit. On the east side is the brown colored brick County Administration Building.
County Administration Building – Waukesha
Location: 1320 Pewaukee Road / West Moreland Boulevard
Built: Unlnown
Style: Modern
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces east and is a four story buff and brown colored brick. glass and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Waukesha on the east side of the courthouse.. The roof line is flat.
Old County Courthouse – Waukesha
Location: 101 West Main Street / North East Avenue
Built: 1892 – 1893
Style: Richardsonian Romanesque
Architect: Charles H Rau & Robert George Kirsch
Contractor: H C Hartwell
Description: The building faces north and is a three story gray colored limestone structure. The building faces north and was completed in 1893. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Waukesha. The north front has a large arched entrance at the center, A square tower rises above the roof line with small cupola at the top. The corners have turrets with conical roofs. The west wing was constructed in 1938 to 1939 and connects with the old County Jail built in 1858. The building now houses a museum.
See: The architect, Robert Geoege Kirsch designed courthouses in Missouri in Adair County, Carroll County, Cooper County, Polk County and Vernon County, in Texas in Hemphill County and Randall County, and in Wisconsin in Oconto County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Waukesha County Courthouse
History: The county was created in 1846 and Waukesha ( Prairieville ) was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story Greek Revival structure built in 1848 to 1849. The second courthouse was constructed in 1892 to 1893 and is still standing. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1958 to 1959 at a cost of $2,670,500.
Court of Appeals – Division II
Location: 2727 Grandview Boulevard / Silvernail Road
Built: Unknown
Style: Modern Commercial
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces west and is a fthree story glass, brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds to the north of the center of Waukesha. The building is square shaped with horizontal windows. The building houses the Court of Appeals Second Division on the third story.
County Courthouse - Waukesha
County Administration Building – Waukesha
Old County Courthouse - Waukesha
Photos taken 2007