Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.
“Vernon County Courthouse is a historic courthouse located at Nevada, Vernon County, Missouri. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1997.”
Wikipedia article Vernon County Courthouse (Missouri), CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 4 National Register listings published here for Vernon County · listed in 1997 · category: Building.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
The chapter on Center Township in History of Vernon County, Missouri : Past and Present, Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County, published 1911 names Nevada. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.
South of Nevada, and almost adjoining the town, most valu¬ able quarries of blue sandstone have been opened. The stone is well adapted for ornamental work of various kinds and much of it is in use in the asylum and in other buildings. It is but reasonable to conclude that this stone is to be found else¬ where, since the general variety to which it belongs (hydraulic sandstone) is frequently to be seen. There are numerous ex¬ posures of sandstone along the streams, notably on the western border of Nevada, on the Ft. Scott road.
Passage source: History of Vernon County, Missouri : Past and Present, Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County, published 1911.
Coal lias been found in the northwest quarter of the town¬ ship. The belief that natural gas exists under the surface near Nevada is not sufficiently general and strong as yet to induce speculative capitalists to bore for it. The greater portion of the coal consumed in Nevada is brought from other parts of the county. Near Nevada a gravel bed exists as a depth of sixteen feet, and that in this bed logs and sticks have been found in digging wells. South of Nevada, on Birch branch, is a good mineral spring.
Passage source: History of Vernon County, Missouri : Past and Present, Including an Account of the Cities, Towns and Villages of the County, published 1911.
Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.
Read the whole chapter on Center Township - 1,488 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 11 fires within 5 miles of Vernon County Courthouse between 2003 and 2020, burning about 334 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 8 |
| Debris and open burning | 2 |
| Arson/incendiarism | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21 August 2012 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 118 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | DEERFIELD |
| 20 August 2003 | Debris and open burning | 10 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 4 July 2003 | Arson/incendiarism | 1.0 acres | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 21 July 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 30 June 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 27 May 2003 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Missouri State Fire Marshal's Office | not named |
| 16 March 2015 | Debris and open burning | 200 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 122116-10867-03162015-1640 |
| 11 March 2015 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Missouri Department of Conservation | 122113-10867-03112015-1425 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 5 workings within 5 miles of Vernon County Courthouse: 4 past producers, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Stone, Crushed/Broken, Clay, Lead. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prairie Diggings | Lead | Past Producer | ||
| Unknown - Clay & Shale | Clay | Past Producer | ||
| Gilfillian Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| Nevada Limestone Quarry | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Past Producer | ||
| White Rock Quarry and Mill | Stone, Crushed/Broken | Producer |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Nevada, the town this property stands in, in 142 storm reports between 1994 and 2026: 66 thunderstorm wind, 47 hail, 17 flash flood, 6 heavy rain. The reports record 9 injuries. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 1995 | Tornado (F3) | Nevada | 9 hurt, $7,000,000 | A tornado destroyed homes and buildings to the west of Nevada, then heavily damaged brick buildings within the city. The tornado weakened as it tracked east northeast towards Dederick, but was still strong enough to uproot trees and destroy outbuildings. Witnesses reported extremely heavy rain with the tornadoes passage. The 3M industrial plant on the east side of Nevada recorded an 107 mph wind with the event. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $75,000 | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $50,000 | A large tree fell into a house near Quail Road and Highway BB. The tree fell through the living room trapping a person in the home. |
| April 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $50,000 | A warehouse at a furniture store was nearly demolished with an estimated $30,000 worth of damage. Numerous trees were also blown down along Highway 54. |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $50,000 | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $25,000 | A large tree feel through a home near Quail Road and Highway BB about 2 miles south of Nevada. |
| June 2001 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $25,000 | no account filed |
| September 2010 | Flash Flood | Nevada | $20,000 | A low water bridge was washed out at the intersection of Tally Bend Road and County Road 1700. |
| May 2002 | Lightning | Nevada | $18,000 | no account filed |
| June 2019 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $12,000 | Trees and power lines were reported down. |
| June 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $10,000 | Multiple trees down and roads blocked in Nevada, Missouri. |
| June 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $10,000 | A large tree was blown down on west Walnut Street in Nevada. Another tree fell on a house. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $10,000 | Several power lines reported down on Cedar Street as the result of large, falling tree limbs. |
| September 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $10,000 | Several large tree limbs were reported down on power lines which caused temporary outages on the northwest side of the city. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $10,000 | Thunderstorm wind gusts knocked down several trees and power lines near Nevada. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $10,000 | Numerous power lines and trees were blown down from thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| June 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $10,000 | no account filed |
| May 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $8,000 | Severe thunderstorm wind gusts damaged the roof of a frame home. |
| August 2015 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | Several large tree limbs and power lines were blown down across the northwestern portions of the city of Nevada. |
| April 2012 | Flash Flood | Nevada | $5,000 | A section of Panama Road was washed out. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | A tree fell on a house. |
| September 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | A tree fell on a house. |
| June 2008 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | Several trees and power lines were downed from thunderstorm wind gusts. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | The Nevada Police Department reported 60 MPH wind gusts with power outages and trees down. |
| June 1994 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | The Eldorado Springs Police Department reported large trees down with wind gusts estimated at 60 mph. Skywarn spotters also reported windows blown out of house. |
| July 2002 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | no account filed |
| May 1999 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1998 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | no account filed |
| June 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $5,000 | no account filed |
| August 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $3,000 | Thunderstorm winds damaged two hangers at the Nevada Municipal Airport. Parts of a metal door were tore off of one and walls of another were damaged. |
| February 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $2,000 | A Subway restaurant suffered minor damage in Nevada. |
| March 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $1,000 | A tracker trailer was blown off Interstate 49 near the Bellamy exit south of Nevada. |
| October 2017 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $1,000 | A power line was blown down in Nevada. A pick up truck pulling a twenty foot trailer was blown off the road into the median about two miles south of Nevada. |
| July 2014 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $1,000 | A highway sign was blown over and blocked Highway 54. |
| May 2012 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $1,000 | A large elm tree and power line were blown down. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $1,000 | A tree and powerline was downed. |
| August 2009 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | $1,000 | Large limbs and power lines were blown down. |
| April 1994 | Hail | Nevada | $500 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Hail | Nevada | $50 | no account filed |
| April 1994 | Hail | Nevada | $50 | no account filed |
| April 2026 | Hail | Nevada | - | Hail up to ping pong balls in size were reported. |
| April 2026 | Hail | Nevada | - | Hail to the size of hen eggs was reported. |
| April 2025 | Hail | Nevada | - | Penny sized hail was reported. |
| May 2025 | Flash Flood | Nevada | - | Reports of flooding in Nevada. |
| May 2025 | Heavy Rain | Nevada | - | Report of 4.82 inches of rainfall that occurred in the last 6 hours. |
| May 2025 | Heavy Rain | Nevada | - | CoCoRaHS station measured a 24 hour rainfall total of 4.84 inches. |
| May 2025 | Heavy Rain | Nevada | - | A Co-op observer measured a 24 hour rainfall total of 4.70 inches. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | - | Wind gust measuring 60 mph wind were recorded on a home weather station. Hail up to penny size was also reported. |
| July 2025 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | - | Several large 2-3 inch diameter branches were reported down. |
| April 2024 | Flood | Nevada | - | Heavy rainfall allowed the Marmaton River to impact Highway 54 for a time closing lanes of traffic. |
| August 2024 | Heavy Rain | Nevada | - | The Mesonet station FW7458 in Nevada measured 2.07 inches of storm total rainfall. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Nevada | - | Half dollar sized hail was reported in a mostly rural area. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Nevada | - | Golf ball sized hail was reported in a mainly rural area. |
| May 2023 | Hail | Nevada | - | Penny sized hail was reported. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | - | The Mesonet station at Monett recorded a wind gust of 60 mph. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | - | The AWOS at the Nevada airport recorded a 63 mph wind gust. |
| July 2023 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | - | The Mesonet station at the Nevada City Hall recorded a 74 mph wind gust. |
| April 2022 | Hail | Nevada | - | Quarter sized hail was reported via social media. |
| May 2020 | Thunderstorm Wind | Nevada | - | A tree was reported down over the road near the interchange of 1400 and Rebel Roads. |
| May 2019 | Heavy Rain | Nevada | - | A co-op observer reported a 24-hr rainfall accumulation of 4.37 inches. |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Vernon County Jail, Sheriff's House and Office | 0.1 miles | 1977 |
 | Infirmary Building, Missouri State Hospital Number 3 | 1.7 miles | 2005 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 97000630 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Vernon County | All 4 listed properties in this county. |
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