 Although a harsh winter sometimes made work difficult , construction of the courthouse progressed far enough that work on the large ( 3 stories high ) arch on the southern façade began during February 1894 . Around the same time , work to carve the frieze above the second story was sublet to Gustave Steuber . Much of the carving work around the building 's entrances was conducted under Mr. Steuber 's direction . The building ’ s cornice was finished in April , and nearly all of the structure ’ s stone was cut by that time . By June , work was started on the clock tower , and almost all of the roof was completed in August . The tower 's 4 @,@ 000 @-@ pound ( 2 @,@ 000 kg ) clock arrived by rail in August from New Haven , Connecticut — although the tower was not ready to accommodate the timepiece until October . Installation of the clock was completed in November . By February 1895 , the courthouse contractor considered the courthouse finished . 
