Buchanan County was named for President James Buchanan, who was a key senator in acquiring the Wisconsin Territory, which included all of Iowa.Buchanan County’s first courthouse was a small frame structure built in Independence, which also served as a school.
The second courthouse was a brick structure built in 1857. In 1864, the county treasurer’s safe was blown open, and $26,000 in public and private funds stolen.
The third courthouse, a fireproof building, was completed in 1881.
The current courthouse, a PWA Moderne building designed by Dougher, Rich, and Woodburn, was built beginning in 1938. County lore tells that the ghost of Officer Harold Pearce, shot by a prisoner in 1956, haunts the building. The Buchanan County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.
Visit the Buchanan County web site for more information.
Do you have photos, facts, or stories about the Buchanan County Courthouse? Post a response, or send email to iowacourthouses@gmail.com
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