Built in 1877 at a cost of $45,201, the Davis County courthouse is an outstanding example of Second Empire architecture with its distinctive mansard roof and dormer windows. The structure measures approximately 97 x 87 feet with walls made of red brick covered by a sandstone veneer. The design was the work of architect T.J. Tolan of Indiana, considered at the time to be the most successful in this style of courthouse.
In continuous use since its construction, the large courtroom seats nearly 300 people on the original walnut chairs and benches. The basement still contains the cells that were the county and city jails until 1973. A fence was originally constructed around the courtyard square of the same type that still surrounds the jailhouse windows. The courthouse has grown to become a familiar symbol of Davis County and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.
Text from the historical marker in the Davis County courthouse lawn.
Near the center of the Hardin County community of Union is the town hall, a 1941 WPA-era building constructed of reinforced concrete. Building space was originally shared with the fire department, but a modern brick addition has since been added for fire trucks and equipment. Located along the Iowa river, Union is one of seventeen area communities that is part of the Greenbelt, as indicated by the sign standing in front of the iconic town hall.
The Zearing Post Office was one of several across the state of Iowa to be constructed in the 1960s. These cookie-cutter brick post offices, designed to official U.S. Postal Service specifications, provided more space for employees and more mailboxes for locals. The Zearing location was constructed in 1962, eighty years after postal service was first introduced to the community.
Located on the north side of the square in downtown Clarion in Wright County is the Clarion Theatre, a single-screen movie house that dates to 1937. While a few exterior changes have taken place since the theatre’s construction, the angled brick design and iconic marquee remain in tact and in use. The Clarion Theatre is one of six in the state operated by the recently-established Big Time Cinema chain. First-run movies cost just $2.00 for adults, and $1.00 for children.
In the spring of 1923, a traveling library was brought to Lu Verne by members of the Progressive Club, a group of local ladies who met regularly to discuss topics including history, music, novels and popular culture. Traveling library stations were common in Iowa at that time, provided by the State of Iowa Library Commission for communities without permanent library buildings. Lu Verne’s traveling library station was located in the balcony of a local general store.
In 1939, after several meetings between representatives of the Progressive Club and the City Council, the Lu Verne Community Library was officially established in 1939. It was housed in the City Hall for nearly 30 years, until the present library building opened in 1968.
Featuring a new Iowa photo each weekday; dedicated to discovering and documenting the best of small-town Iowa.
