When the Harrison County seat was relocated from Magnolia to Logan in 1876, a combination of $5,000 from taxes and $9,000 in private donations helped construct a two-story brick courthouse in the town square. With a growing county population and a need for additional office space, the brick courthouse was replaced with a three-story steel and concrete block building accented by Bedford limestone that was dedicated November 3, 1911. The courthouse still serves residents of Harrison County today.
The first Adams County Courthouse to built in the seat of Corning was destroyed by fire the morning of February 1, 1888. The wood frame structure burned quickly, and within less than two hours all that was left was the chimney and remains of the brick vault. Temporary quarters were setup within local businesses before voters approved construction of a new courthouse in November 1889 and the new, $28,000 building was dedicated June 20, 1890.
By 1938, the second courthouse showed signs of deterioration and efforts were made pass a bond issue to cover costs for construction of a new Courthouse facility. After four failed votes, citizens approved a $225,000 bond issue to construct a new building in January 1954. Ground was broken June 1954 and the building was formally dedicate October 7, 1955.
The third Adams County Courthouse featured a contemporary style of architecture, unusual at the time among public buildings across the state and nation. The building originally featured concrete walls painted with aqua green and a pink-like “grayed alizarin crimson.” Though the modern facility was lauded by architectural critics at the time, the building was later dubbed by legendary Iowa columnist Chuck Offenberger as being the ugliest courthouse in the state.
An $850,000 renovation was completed in 1999 which included installation of new windows and doors, a new exterior finish, and a new sign and front canopy. The project also included interior upgrades including a new coat of paint, ceiling fans, lighting, and heating and cooling throughout the building.
After much controversy, a two-story courthouse was constructed in the now-non-existent hamlet of Butler Center in 1860 at a cost of $2,000. Though the Courthouse operated in Butler Center for twenty years, the village contained few businesses and was described in an 1875 atlas a place without “commercial or other importance.” Several communities, including Clarksville, Bristow and Shell Rock, sought to obtain county seat status, but it was ultimately awarded to the town of Allison and a new courthouse was in place in January 1881.
Several additions were made to the courthouse to keep up with the county’s growing needs, but by the late 1950s the building developed inadequacies and structural cracks. The board of supervisors state the building was beyond repair and finally, after three failed bond elections, in May 1973, a proposal to construct a new $940,000 courthouse passed with 72% approval. Construction began on April 14, 1974, and the new Butler County Courthouse was formally dedicated on December 14, 1975.
In 1891, Wapello County voters approved $100,000 in bonds to construct a new courthouse in Ottumwa, the fourth since the county was established. The cornerstone of the rough-cut standstone building was laid in September 1892 and the new building was dedicated on May 1894. The courthouse originally featured a large clock tower, but it was removed in 1950 due to structural safety concerns. The Wapello County Courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. Check out the City of Ottumwa website for more details on the courthouse history and architectural characteristics.
On May 30, 1840, the Van Buren County Commissioners awarded a $6,500 contract for construction of a new courthouse in Keosauqua, which had edged out the village of Bentonsport in the county seat election two years prior. The courthouse was finished in September 1843, making it the oldest courthouse in Iowa to be in continuous operation since its opening date. A major interior restoration project was completed in 1983 and exterior improvements were made in 1997.
Though the main courthouse building has changed little since its initial construction, additional buildings have been added to the courthouse complex, including an additional county office constructed in 1896 (expanded in 1979) and a separate Law Enforcement Center built in 1993.