Conceived by Maximilian A. Orlopp, the Pulaski County Courthouse in Little Rock, Arkansas, is one of his three magnificent public building designs built during the late 1800s. The Pulaski County Courthouse, along with the Jasper County Courthouse in Carthage, Missouri, and the Dallas County Courthouse in Texas, were designed to be the focal point of the county seat. The use of towers, turrets, arches, perfectly aligned windows and asymmetrical shapes in the Richardsonian Romanesque and Romanesque Revival styles created a dramatic appearance in the skyline. Considering Orlopp's formal educational background at the United States Naval Academy and early work making railroad surveys, Orlopp's accomplishments in architecture are remarkable.
   Completed in 1889, the Pulaski County Courthouse and its annex, completed in 1914, have continued to serve the county since first built. The original courthouse design became the model throughout Arkansas, with many copies alluding to the acceptance of this flamboyant architectural style.
   Located geographically in the center of the state, Pulaski County was Arkansas' fifth county, formed in 1818. Here on the Arkansas River, early French explorers quickly pointed out the river's outcroppings. French Rock, Big Rock and Little Rock (La Petite Roche) appeared on early maps. Today, a move is afoot to restore Little Rock, the city's namesake.

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