Manhattan ? Nearly 100 years have passed since the Riley County Courthouse was built.

Construction began in 1904, and the final existing cornerstone was set in place in 1906. The building was completed by J.B. Betts of Topeka, along with local builder Clarence Johnson, in 1907. Architects J.C. Holland and Frank C. Squires designed the classic Richardsonian Romanesque style building.

In honor of the courthouse’s centennial, a commemorative stamp cancellation was made available last month at the Manhattan post office. In addition, the Riley County Historical Society and Museum has a commemorative envelope and antique postcard featuring the courthouse.

“It’s been the seat of Riley County justice throughout this entire 100-year period,” Cheryl Collins, of the Riley County Historical Society, said of the courthouse. “It intersects with everyone’s life to a greater or lesser extent.”

The courthouse cost $42,189 to build, but the courthouse tower clock was not included in that price; that piece of the structure came later after a committee raised funds for the clock. It was eventually purchased from the E. Howard Clock Company of Boston for $1,169.

Over the years, the clock fell into disrepair and eventually stopped running. In 1980, a group raised money for a clock restoration, according to David Seay, owner of Regulator Time Co., who maintains the clock.

“There were parts broken and missing,” Seay said. Today, Seay and his son Donovan share the responsibility of winding the massive clock each week to assure it continues to ring on time.

The Riley County Courthouse in Manhattan is shown in November 2006. The courthouse will soon observe its centennial.

Over time, Seay said, his business expanded, and he now restores other large clocks across the country. Seay’s is one of many stories of life-changing events at the century-old building.

According to the Riley County Historical Society, there were so many marriages performed at the courthouse that a judge actually moved into the building in 1918 so that he could be available at all hours. One of the people married there was Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Grover Cleveland Alexander.

Many of the building’s original features remain intact today, although it has undergone maintenance and renovation numerous times over the years. The most recent renovation was in 1985-86 when all county offices except for the court offices were removed from the building. That move reflected growth and development in Riley County, one of several times the county has had to accommodate growth, while keeping the courthouse’s historic value.

County staffers have said more space is needed at the courthouse, but expansion would be a challenge. There also are maintenance problems that should be addressed, including additional repairs to the tower clock.

“The clock is a priority,” Collins said. “We could possibly do a fundraiser to do repairs.”