Monday, March 23, 2009

Pocahontas County Courthouse in Pocahontas

Pocahontas County was named for Pocahontas, the Powhatan princess who played a leading role in the history of the first permanent English settlements in North America.

Pocahontas County’s first courthouse was a two-story Classic Revival brick building on a stone foundation in Old Rolfe (now called Parvin). The lumber was cut from nearby woods and prepared at a local sawmill, and the bricks were made with local clay and fired on site. The second floor of the courthouse was used as a school.

The county seat moved to Pocahontas in 1875, and a wood frame courthouse with brick wings was completed in 1876.

Pocahontas County’s current courthouse is a three-story Classical Revival design by architects Proudfoot, Bird and Rawson built using brick and Bedford limestone in 1923. The Pocahontas County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Visit the Pocahontas County Economic Development web site for more information.

Do you have photos, facts, or stories about the Pocahontas County Courthouse? Post a response, or send email to iowacourthouses@gmail.com

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