Decatur County Courthouse in Leon

Decatur County was named in honor Commodore Stephen Decatur, a naval officer in the war of 1812.

Decatur County’s first courthouse was a log structure built in 1851 in Decatur.

In 1853, the county seat moved to Independence (renamed Leon in 1855). A courthouse was started, but was destroyed in a windstorm prior to completion. In 1854, a two-story brick courthouse was built. A fire destroyed the courthouse in 1874, with only the contents in the treasurer’s safe surviving.

The third courthouse was built in 1875, a brick two-story Italianate structure. Burglars attempted to blast open the county’s safe with dynamite. Although the safe survived the explosion, the entire west side of the building was destroyed, and damaged the foundation.

Today’s courthouse, a three-story Renaissance and Georgian Revival design by Smith, Wetherell and Gage, was completed in 1908. The exterior is brick and stone; iron, steel, tile, marble and granite were used in the construction of the courthouse. The Decatur County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Visit the Decatur County Development Corporation web site for more information.

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Plymouth County Courthouse in Le Mars

Plymouth County was named for Plymouth, Massachusetts, the first settlement of the Pilgrims in 1620.

Plymouth County’s first courthouse was built in 1859 in Melbourne. It was also used as winter quarters for soldiers and a grocery.

The second courthouse was built in 1874 in Le Mars.

The current courthouse, designed by Kinney & Detweiler in Renaissance and Beaux Arts styles, was completed in 1902. Its exterior is Portage-entry red sandstone, featuring a large portico and Corinthian columns. The large clock tower and dome was removed in 1932. The Plymouth County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Visit the Plymouth County web site for more information.

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Marion County Courthouse in Knoxville

Marion County was likely named for the American Revolutionary War General Francis Marion.

Marion County’s first courthouse was a wood frame structure built in Knoxville in 1846. It served not only as a courthouse, but also as a church and school.

The second courthouse was a two-story Greek Revival brick building with a stone foundation, constructed in 1858. It was considered unsafe in 1895.

Marion County’s current courthouse, a three-story Romanesque sandstone structure designed by M. E. Bell, was completed in 1896. The Marion County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Visit the Marion County web site for more information.

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Van Buren County Courthouse in Keosauqua

Van Buren County was named for Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States.

The Van Buren County Courthouse is the oldest in Iowa, with construction beginning in 1840, and has been in continuous use since its completion in 1843. The two story brick Greek Revival style building, submitted by James Hall and John Fairman, was constructed of locally made bricks, with nearby oak and walnut trees used for its frame and details. The second floor courtroom auditorium was designed without columns or pillars. The original tower and circular staircases were removed, but few structural changes have occurred since its construction. The Keosauqua County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Visit the Keosauqua Community web site for more information.

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Greene County Courthouse in Jefferson

Greene County was named for Nathaniel Greene, a general in the American Revolutionary War.

Greene County’s first courthouse in Jefferson was a simple frame structure built in 1856. Prior to that, court business was held in a log cabin belonging to Judge William Phillips about four miles southeast of Jefferson.

The second courthouse was completed in 1870. The brick courthouse had a bell in the cupola that rang to signal court as well as fire alarms. Water, electric lights, and telephone were added during renovations in the 1890’s.

Today’s courthouse, a three-story Beaux Arts building designed by Proudfood, Bird, and Rawson, was completed in 1917. Its exterior walls are crafted with Bedford limestone, and features a central rotunda that allows light to shine through the stained glass ceiling to the mosaic tile seal of Greene County on the rotunda floor. The Greene County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

Visit the Greene County web site for more information.

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Johnson County Courthouse in Iowa City

Johnson County was named for Richard Mentor Johnson, the ninth vice president of the United States.

The first courthouse of Johnson County was a two-story log building built in Napoleon, Iowa in the year 1838.

The county seat moved to Iowa City in 1840, and a two-story brick courthouse was completed in 1842. It was destroyed by fire in 1856.

Johnson County’s third courthouse was a brick Gothic Revival structure built in 1857, and was condemned in 1899.

The current courthouse, a Richardsonian Romanesque structure designed by A. William Rush, was built beginning in 1899. Constructed by James Rowson and Son, the rough-cut stone building features turrets and stone carvings above the arched entrance. The Johnson County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1975.

Visit the Johnson County web site for more information.

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Warren County Courthouse in Indianola

Warren County was named for patriot Joseph Warren, who died at the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Warren County’s first courthouse was a two-story log cabin built in 1851. It was also used for a church, school, and other public meetings.

The second courthouse, designed by C. A. Dunham, was completed in 1868. The Victorian building was constructed with brick and stone. In 1935, the building deteriorated to the point that walls bulged, and brick panels above the balcony fell to the ground.

Warren County’s third courthouse, designed in PWA Moderne style by Keffer and Jones, was completed in 1939. It was constructed with buff colored brick and Bedford stone. An addition to expand the jail and office space was built in 1988. The Warren County courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2003.

Visit the Warren County web site for more information.

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