Keokuk County Courthouse
History
Keokuk County built its first courthouse in Sigourney in 1845 for $218. The 24-by-20-foot (7.3 by 6.1 m) building, which was constructed of logs, also housed the jail and served as a schoolhouse, public hall, and hotel. Lancaster became the county seat in the late 1840s and a two-story frame courthouse was built there in 1848 for $699. By the mid-1850s the county seat was back in Sigourney. A new courthouse was built in 1858 for $17,200. It was remodeled over the years until the present courthouse was begun in 1909. It was completed two years later at a cost of $150,000.
Architecture
The building was designed in the Classical Revival style by the Des Moines architectural firm Wetherell & Gage, and built by J.L Simmons. The Columbian Exposition of 1893 in Chicago influenced the design of the building. The Bedford limestone structure rests on a raised basement level. Each facade features a frontispiece with large engaged columns in the Ionic order that are set in antis above first floor level. It is capped by a clock tower and cupola. Other historic structures on the courthouse square include a fountain, bandstand, and a Civil War Monument. The significance of the courthouse is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Sigourney as the county seat.
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. November 8, 2010.
- ^ M.H. Bowers. "County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource". National Park Service. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ Molly Myers Naumann. "Public Square Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved January 13, 2016.
- ^ "Keokuk County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved February 14, 2011.
- ^ Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 114. ISBN 0-87069-189-9.
- ^ M.H. Bowers. "Keokuk County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved December 27, 2015. with photo
External links
Media related to Keokuk County Courthouse at Wikimedia Commons