| Warren County | |
| Organized January
5, 1833, from Montgomery County and named for Joseph Warren, a
Revolutionary War general.
County Seat: Warrenton Address: Warren
County |
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| Photograph | |
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| History | |
| Warren County was
organized in 1833, but the site for the county seat remained
undesignated for three years. In January 1836 county citizens cast their
ballots in favor of Warrenton as the county seat. The court called for
proposals for the first courthouse in May 1837 and accepted the plans of
Solomon Jenkins in February 1838. Jenkins married Jane Wells, whose
brother, Carty Wells, Jr., was circuit and county clerk of Warren
County.
The court appropriated $2,600 for the new courthouse. No known illustrations exist, but it was described as a grand building. Some criticized the extravagance of the court appropriation. This was the earliest Missouri courthouse designed by Jenkins. Later courthouses by Jenkins include St. Charles County in 1849, and Scotland and Callaway counties in 1856. The building, located on the same square as the present courthouse, was ordered sold after construction was completed on the second courthouse. On January 20, 1871, the sheriff reported sale of the building for $325. Warren County's second and present courthouse was begun in June 1869 when Francis Varekel, superintendent, was ordered to secure plans and specifications. The court appropriated $25,000 and approved the plan of Thomas W. Brady, an architect from St. Louis, for which they paid him $350. Julius Conrad and Co. submitted a bid of $25,240, which the court accepted in September. The County Court room and four offices are located on the first floor, a large Circuit Court room on the second. Final costs reported in 1871 were about $40,000. Warrenton is a growing community, and the need for modernization and expanded county services placed a burden on a 100-year-old building. Resolving the problem required understanding and compromise. For now, preservation of the courthouse seems assured. The building was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in March 1972. Copyright 2002 University of Missouri. Published by University Extension, University of Missouri-Columbia |
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| Additional History | |
| Records at Courthouse | |
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Recorder of Deeds: Index
to deeds, 1833-1886; Deed records, 1833-1938; Marriage records,
1833-1915; Application for marriage licenses, 1901 -1920. Clerk of the County Court: Permanent record of births, 1883-1888; Register of
births and stillbirths, 1883-1889; Permanent record of deaths,
1884-1894; Register of deaths, 1883-1889. |
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| More Links | |
| Search
for Warren County on Archives'
Online Catalog
Roll by Roll Listing of Microfilm Search for Death & Birth Records Missouri Birth & Death Records Database: Search & Record Availability |
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