The present Calhoun County Courthouse was built on the square in Rockwell City in 1914. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966, both the interior and exterior have been well-preserved and the building has seen minimal changes since its original construction. A number of restoration projects began in 1982, including stripping and varnishing of the oak woodwork, implementation of a new tile ceiling, and a cleaning and restoration of the beautifully unique stained glass dome ceiling.
Published December 12, 2011 |
Courthouses |
Calhoun County
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By 1921, poor quality of the brick walls and a lack of drain tiles caused dangerous cracks in the forty-year-old Ringgold County Courthouse. That year, it was condemned as unsafe for use by the state architect and county offices were forced to move to a garage building located on the northwest side of the square. The condemned courthouse was demolished and voters were asked to approve construction of a new courthouse in the seat of Mount Ayr.
Five votes were required before a bond issue of $150,000 was approved by voters, with a vote of 2,295 to 1,703. Construction started in September 1926, and the first county offices moved into the new facility in October 1927. Constructed of brick and reinforced concrete, the three-story Ringgold County Courthouse was formally dedicated November 12, 1927. Speakers included Iowa Governor John Hammill, with several Iowa Supreme Court Justices and other state officers present.
Minor changes have been made since the building’s construction, the most notable being the installation of aluminum windows and doors in 1975.
Published December 5, 2011 |
Courthouses |
Ringgold County
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Cherokee was chosen as the town seat of Cherokee County in northwest Iowa in 1861. By 1864, the county’s first courthouse was erected in Cherokee, a square, frame building constructed from local black walnut logs. As the building aged and more space was needed, the initial proposal to construct a new courthouse failed on the ballot in 1881. The vote was favorable 10 years later and the second courthouse, constructed with brick, limestone, granite, and slate, was completed in 1892. This Romanesque-style building was torn down in early 1965 to allow construction of a modern, split-level courthouse for Cherokee County. Construction on the $500,000 facility was complete in October 1966.
Published November 21, 2011 |
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Cherokee County
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In February 1954, a grand jury of seven Emmet County residents voted unanimously to recommend the construction of a new courthouse following a report that the existing, 70-year-old courthouse was “inadequate, a fire hazard and a detriment of all citizens of the county should it burn.” Within a month, a special election was approved by the county supervisors and over two-thirds of voters favored building a new $350,000 structure in the November election.
Plans were drawn for the proposed courthouse, but by February 1956, the lowest bid received was more than $70,000 over the $350,000 approved in the election. A second vote to increase the building fund failed by a 10 to one margin, sending the county supervisors back to architect James A. Dougher of Des Moines to redo plans in attempt to secure a lower bid. On March 19, 1957 a revised bid was received that met the county’s budget, and the cornerstone to the new structure was laid Friday, May 30, 1957.
Construction was completed fifteen months later, and the new Emmet County Courthouse building was officially dedicated in front of an estimated crowd of 1,500 on September 14, 1958. Following the dedication, guided tours were given of the new building and dedication brochures were distributed.
Published November 7, 2011 |
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Emmet County
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The current Worth County Courthouse was completed in 1893, across the street from the modest two-story brick courthouse that was constructed 13 years earlier and still open as a museum today. The courthouse was remodeled and expanded to the east in 1938 with funds as part of the Works Progress Administration, and in 1990, a one-story addition containing a new jail, courtroom and offices was attached to the northwest portion of the facility. The historic courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Published October 24, 2011 |
Courthouses |
Worth County
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