The Wabaunsee County Courthouse in Alma has that classic small-town Kansas presence, a solid 1931 stone building that feels like it was meant to anchor the county for generations. Wabaunsee County is named for Potawatomi Chief Wah‑Bon‑Se (also spelled Waubonsie), a name adopted in 1859 when abolitionist settlers pushed to replace the county's original pro-slavery name, Richardson. Alma hasn't always been the county seat. The title originally went to the town of Wabaunsee, but after a series of contention elections in 1866 and 1871, Alma won out and secured the promise of a stone courthouse, which it completed in 1872. The current courthouse was designed by Walter Glover and reflects the restrained, civic architectural style of the period - symmetrical massing, limestone construction, and a dignified but unpretentious facade meant to project stability. The courthouse's clean lines, solid materials, and prominent location on Kansas Avenue make it a fitting centerpiece for Alma and a good example of how Kansas counties expressed civic pride through architecture in the early twentieth century. [Review 790 of 2026 - 130 in Kansas - 25971 overall] read more

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