Thursday, April 16, 2009

Courthouse Clocks Continued

Several courthouse clocks were not listed in the 1911 Seth Thomas catalog. In my research, I initially did not locate additional information on other clocks. I used individual county websites, My Iowa Genealogy website, and "The Counties and Courthouses of Iowa" by LeRoy G. Pratt for information. I recently found a site with E. Howard Clock installations - details on those clocks have been updated.
Information on the history and interesting facts about courthouse clocks are always welcome! (just click on "comments" to this post)

Greene County Courthouse
Two outside clocks, each five feet in diameter, were financed “by popular subscription”

Hardin County Courthouse
The original courthouse clock, a Howard clock model 2 installation in 1900, is shown in photos circa 1896-1900 with a black face. The clock was destroyed by fire in 1921; the clock tower's iron floor prevented the fire from spreading to the rest of the courthouse. The clock was running inaccurately in 1967, and extensive remodeling and repair was done to the courthouse in 1970, including the clock.

Franklin County Courthouse
A four-sided clock in the large dome.

Webster County Courthouse
The copper clock tower was restored in 1985

Marshall County Courthouse
The Marshall County Courthouse's clock is a Howard clock model #3, installed in 1900. The tower and clock reaches 175 feet into the sky.

Sioux County Courthouse
Its large clock tower is topped by a statue of Justice.

Marion County Courthouse
The tower’s clock struck the hour throughout the city. The clock and bell are both the E. Howard Clock Company. The bell bears the date 1905.

Jefferson County Courthouse
The Jefferson County Courthouse clock in Fairfield has a Howard clock model # 2, installed in 1892. It features an illuminated clock in the large dome
Wayne County Courthouse

Mahaska County Courthouse
The Mahaska County Courthouse in Oskaloosa has a Howard clock model #2, installed in 1889. It requires hand winding about twice a week.

Page County Courthouse
The original tower featured a four-faced clock, which was removed in 1950. $175,000 was raised in private donations to replace the clock tower. Reconstruction was completed in 1994.

Montgomery County Courthouse
The Montgomery County Courthouse clock in Red Oak is a Howard clock model #2, installed in 1896. The tall clock tower with four-faced clock was a gift from the Red Oak Monday Club.

Washington County Courthouse
The courthouse also contains a large 181-foot tower, complete with the former Washington Academy clock. This clock is a Howard Clock #2, installed in 1874 in the Academy building. The clock became unreliable over time, so the Washington County Historical Society and the Carlton "Tug" Wilson estate funded the clock’s renovation in 1967.

Muscatine County Courthouse
The dome is supported by stone pillars

Clinton County Courthouse

Delaware County Courthouse
The Delaware County Courthouse clock in Manchester is a Howard clock model #2. Seven hundred county citizens bought a clock that was placed in the tower in 1895.

Fayette County Courthouse

Clayton County Courthouse
A 45-foot clock tower was added in 1896. The clock is a Howard clock model #1, records indicate its installation was in 1890. The clock was paid by the citizens of Elkader. The clock required daily winding, then was electrified in 1980. The cupola was expanded in 1896 to include a clock tower.

Winneshiek County Courthouse

Benton County Courthouse
112 foot tall tower with illuminated clock and 1,500 bell B-Flat donated by farmer & merchant Paul Correll

Dallas County Courthouse
The tower is 128-foot-tall with a clock that was donated by the people of Adel. In addition, there is a $1,000 clock that rests in the tower.

Polk County Courthouse

Monday, April 13, 2009

Courthouse Clocks

Many of Iowa's county courthouses are crowned with beautiful towers with a large clock. The courthouse typically was built in the middle of the business district, and the large clock, usually with a bell to sound each hour and quarter hour, served as the official timepiece to keep the community on time. Over time many of these tall towers were removed: the weight of the stone or brick threatening the structure of the courthouse, or pieces of the clock tower started falling.

This article features clocks listed in a Seth Thomas catalog, circa 1911. Iowa's installations of Seth Thomas clocks, including these courthouses, are listed on page 44.

Appanoose County Courthouse
The clock tower, rising from the center of the courthouse, features the four-faced clock. The Seth Thomas Clock, Model #15, was manufactured in 1905. It underwent major repairs in 1936, and in 1975 after it was struck by lightning. It was restored in 2003 by Rory DeMesy.

Chickasaw County Courthouse

Clay County Courthouse
The clock tower was added in 1910 to the 1901 courthouse.

Davis County Courthouse
The four-sided clock is the pride of Bloomfield. The clock tower is 123 feet above the ground. The 1876 Seth Thomas clock and 1878 Kimberly Bell underwent recent restoration by Rory DeMesy.

Decatur County Courthouse

Grundy County Courthouse
The clock was installed in the tower in 1900 - five years after the courthouse was completed.

Jasper County Courthouse
The clock has four dials, each 8 feet high, and was provided through private donations. The self-winding clock automatically turns on its lighted face at night and turns off at dawn.

Keokuk County Courthouse
The clock was paid through contributions

South Lee County Courthouse

Lucas County Courthouse
The tower's clock was donated by Smith Henderson Mallory in 1894.

Madison County Courthouse
The bell and fourth-faced illuminated clock grace the dome, which is 136 feet above the ground. The clock was restored with new hands and cast aluminum gears in 1975.

Monroe County Courthouse

Tama County Courthouse
The 1914 courthouse clock was restored in 2003 by Lloyd Larish of Faribault, MN

Taylor County Courthouse
The Seth Thomas clock in the dome and the building itself are illuminated at night. Only 82 clocks of this model were built.

Winnebago County Courthouse

Wright County Courthouse

Friday, April 3, 2009

Civil War Soldier Statues

A tour of Iowa’s courthouses is an opportunity to learn about what the citizens treasure. The courthouse itself is a monument to the importance of government, and on its square you will often discover memorials to the soldiers who have defended our freedom.

Several Civil War monuments feature the same soldier at parade rest, such as this monument in Guthrie County. What initially appears to be a stone carving is actually cast from zinc. The Western White Bronze Company in Des Moines, a subsidiary of Monumental Bronze in Bridgeport, Connecticut, sold many Civil War soldier statues and other cast monuments across the state.

An article on “white bronze” monuments in Greenwood Cemetery offers more details on the monuments and the Western White Bronze Company.


Here is another good collection of articles on Civil War white bronze monuments.


Keokuk County Courthouse
Sigourney, Iowa










Knoxville, Iowa













Mount Ayr, Iowa























Franklin County Memorial Hall
Hampton, Iowa











Forest City, Iowa








Osceola County Courthouse
Sibley, Iowa












Sac County Courthouse
Sac City, Iowa









Lucas County Courthouse
Chariton, Iowa












Monroe County Courthouse
Albia, Iowa









Tama County Courthouse
Toledo, Iowa












Corydon, Iowa












Harlan, Iowa









Denison, Iowa












Clarinda, Iowa












Muscatine, Iowa











Allamakee County Courthouse
Waukon, Iowa








Winneshiek County Courthouse
Decorah, Iowa










Howard County Courthouse
Cresco, Iowa












Taylor County Courthouse
Bedford, Iowa












Calhoun County Courthouse
Rockwell City, Iowa

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Strengthening the Arm of Liberty

Miniature models of the Statue of Liberty can be found on many courthouse squares across Iowa. Boy Scout troops presented these copper statues to their communities from 1949-1952.

Additional information on the project can be found at:
Scouting Magazine archives
Boy Scout Troup 101







Jefferson County Courthouse











Henry County Courthouse










Decatur County Courthouse










Davis County Courthouse










Buchanan County Courthouse







Winneshiek County Courthouse









Bremer County Courthouse







Grundy County Courthouse

South Lee County: Keokuk, Iowa

Lee County was most likely named for William Elliot Lee, who once owned land in southeast Iowa, including the area that became Lee County. The battle over the county seat is lengthy. The Iowa Assembly passed a special act in 1848 that established two court houses and two county seats. The Iowa Attorney General reaffirmed the law as recently as 1975.Even though there have been numerous court battles and editorials over the county seat question, both towns function as the county seat of Lee County.

South Lee County offices were held in rented buildings for several years. In 1859, Lee County purchased the Keokuk College of Physicians and Surgeons Building, a Romanesque building designed by W. A. Rice in 1856. This building served the county until 1976.

In 1975, the county acquired the old YWCA building, which was remodeled for courthouse use and occupied in 1976.

Today's courthouse is the former Federal Courthouse and Post Office, a three story Romanesque brick, stone, and terra cotta structure designed by M. E. Bell in 1889. It features a seven-story clock tower. It was remodeled for use as a courthouse in 1992. The South Lee County Courthouse in Keokuk was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974.

The North Lee County Courthouse at Fort Madison was completed in 1842.

Visit the Lee County web site for more information.

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