Known as the "Skyscraper of the Plains," this native stone structure was built in 1888 as the legacy of N.C. Merrill, an avid promoter of Ness City and Ness County, and stands as a tribute to the ingenuity, dreams, and culture of the settlers who dug, laid, and carved the stone. It has served as a home for the courthouse, banks, cultural events, post office, apartments, offices, and lodge hall, and it is listed on the Kansas State and National Register of Historic Sites.