Allen County Courthouse Photo Credit: Sachi Yanari-Rizzo, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art
August 10, 2023 – Otter Tail County, MN– Otter Tail County was recently contacted by Sachi Yanari-Rizzo, Curator of Prints and Drawings at the Fort Wayne Museum of Art, to locate pictures of the work of muralist Charles Holloway. Holloway, once considered the premiere mural painter and stained-glass decorator in the United States, painted the murals found in the Otter Tail County Courthouse.
Previously, little was known about the artist. “Four paintings done on canvas and glued to the ceiling are thought to have been commissioned by an artist named Holloway” is the only reference to the muralist on the County’s website. Recently, more historical information about Holloway’s work has been revealed.
In 1900, Holloway was contracted to paint the murals in the rotunda of the Allen County Courthouse in Fort Wayne for $33,000. According to Chuck Knox from the ‘Old Fort News’ published by the Allen County-Fort Wayne Historical Society in 2003, “The Holloway rotunda murals are the nation’s greatest set of undiscovered murals, and we are now beginning to realize their importance in the history of American art.”
Today, though credited with painting the most murals of any artist of his time, many of his works have yet to be recovered. The Otter Tail County Courthouse murals, therefore, hold a special place in history, preserving the work of Holloway. The original courthouse was destroyed by a cyclone in 1919. Construction of a new Beaux Arts design courthouse began in May 1921, and the new courthouse was opened to the public in December 1922. During this time, Holloway painted four murals on canvas, now glued to the rotunda’s ceiling. These murals can be seen today as visitors gaze at the stained-glass dome. The Otter Tail County Courthouse building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984.
Paintings created by artists enrolled in the depression era Works Project Art Program hang on the courthouse’s first-floor walls. Several murals depicting the county’s townships were painted on the walls of the courthouse offices; many were lost when the rooms were painted. However, two large murals hung in the Land and Resource Office of the Courthouse were saved, and plans are being made to be restored, framed, and publicly displayed.
Long-time County employee Doug Cannell has been in contact with Fort Wayne Museum of Art’s Yanari-Rizzo and has shared pictures of the courthouse murals now on display in Fort Wayne. “I have always been interested in the history of the courthouse and have worked to maintain its beauty and character for the public to enjoy,” remarked Cannell. “The Courthouse is a special place.”
To celebrate the art of muralist Charles Holloway, Otter Tail County will host courthouse tours on Friday, September 8, every thirty minutes from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. The public is encouraged to take a tour and revisit the rarely-seen work of Charles Holloway and discover other artistic details of the building. Visit the county webpage ottertailcounty.gov/event/courthouse-tours/ for more information.