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(Photograph by Jeff Dean, courtesy of the Wisconsin Historical Society)
Mansfield of Illinois created one of the finest examples of Romanesque Revival architecture in the state. Square and round towers, conical roofs, and arched openings create a lively interplay of shapes. The six-stage clock tower soars from the southwest corner; its pyramidal roof was restored in 1985. The building’s smooth brick walls are trimmed with quarry-faced limestone providing both a sense of weight and textural contrast. Rugged limestone marks the foundation and the massive entrance porches, which have balustraded roof decks and arcades supported by squat marble columns. Rough-cut quoins and window surrounds, decorative stonework in the gable ends, dentils along the cornice, and smooth-faced stonework around the doors opening onto porch roofs provide textural contrast. Inside, the second-floor courtroom features two murals by Franz Rohrbeck, a German immigrant to Milwaukee, expressing the theme of justice.