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.