Osborne County Courthouse

A visit to the Osborne County Courthouse will show the use of the area’s popular post rock material in its Romanesque Revival styling. Built in 1907-1908 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the courthouse features notable stone carvings at the main entrance, including a very unusual Medusa. A facial likeness of John Wineland, a “sidewalk superintendent,” is carved on the south side of the clock tower.

The story goes that John Wineland, one of the first settlers in Osborne County, would daily walk from his home across the street to the new courthouse contruction site and inspect the work of the stone masons, suggesting to them how to “do the job properly.” Finally the masons’ foreman had enough of this and informed Mr. Wineland that if he didn’t cease bothering them, they would carve his face in the rock. He didn’t, and they did.

The second floor corridor also features artifacts from early-day Osborne County.