Calhoun County named for John Caldwell Calhoun, the seventh vice president of the United States.Calhoun County’s first courthouse was built in Lake City in 1856.
In 1877 a courthouse was built in Rockwell City after the county seat was moved there. It was also used as a schoolhouse and other public meetings. It was destroyed by fire in 1884, and other locations were rented until a new one could be built.
A new location was chosen for the third courthouse, to be further from the noise of the railroad. It was built in 1886. It quickly became too small for the needs of the county.
Today’s courthouse is a three-story Neo-Classical design by W. F. Gernanth. Completed in 1914, the courthouse is constructed with steel and concrete, and Bedford limestone lined with brick, and features a red tile roof.
A third courthouse was built on a new location in 1886, but was too small for the county. The fourth courthouse was completed in 1914 for a cost of $116,200 and the former courthouse was sold to a Catholic Church. This fourth courthouse serves Calhoun County today. The outside walls are limestone and the building has a red roof made of clay tiles. The architectural style of this three story building is Neo-Classical Revival. The Calhoun County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Visit the Calhoun County web site for more information.
Do you have photos, facts, or stories about the Calhoun County Courthouse? Post a response, or send email to iowacourthouses@gmail.com
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