The 1910 Logan County Courthouse and its Carara paintings reward a downtown stop

If you are already strolling downtown Sterling for the historic district or the living-tree sculptures, walk a little farther to 315 Main Street and look up. The Logan County Courthouse, dedicated in 1910 and designed by architect John J. Huddart, is a Classical Revival building topped with a dome that anchors the old commercial blocks around it. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 and counts as a contributing building in the downtown district.

Step inside and the appeal is quieter than the dome suggests. The rotunda was restored in 1984, bringing back its marble floors, golden-oak woodwork, and stained-glass ceiling, the kind of public room that towns rarely build anymore.

The reason to linger is in the lower rotunda. Ten oil paintings by Eugene Carara hang there, each tied to a person, place, or event from northeastern Colorado’s past. Carara lived in Sterling and taught art here for about thirty years before copyrighting the works in 1984; private citizens later helped keep the collection together for the county. There is no admission charge, and the building keeps regular weekday county hours.

It is a working courthouse, so check current visiting hours and access on the official Logan County site before you go.