Humboldt County Courthouse (Iowa)

Humboldt County Courthouse
Location 203 Main St.
Dakota City, Iowa
Coordinates 42°43′21″N 94°12′58″W / 42.72250°N 94.21611°W / 42.72250; -94.21611Coordinates: 42°43′21″N 94°12′58″W / 42.72250°N 94.21611°W / 42.72250; -94.21611
Area 4.9 acres (2.0 ha)
Built 1939
Architect Dougher,Rich and Woodburn
Architectural style PWA Moderne/Art Deco
MPS PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA
NRHP Reference # 03000823[1]
Added to NRHP August 28, 2003

The Humboldt County Courthouse is a courthouse in Dakota City, Iowa, United States, the county seat of Humboldt County, which dates from 1939. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 as a part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA Multiple Properties Submission.[1] The courthouse is the second building the county has used for court functions and county administration.[2]

History

Dakota City was established as the county seat in 1857, but a courthouse was not built until 1873. The two-story building was constructed for $5,000.[3][4] Plans to build a new courthouse were defeated in 1923 when voters suspected plans to move the county seat to Humboldt.[2]

Plans for the current courthouse were approved in 1936.[2] The Des Moines architectural firm of Dougher, Rich & Woodburn were retained to design the building. The county applied to the Public Works Administration, or PWA, to assist with the funding. The grant was approved in 1937. The contract to build the building was given to Holtze Construction Co. of Sioux City, Iowa. The cornerstone was laid on April 30, 1938, and the new building was dedicated on February 25, 1939.[2] The courthouse was built for $185,000.[2] Iowa Supreme Court Justice Richard Mitchell delivered the main address at an open house.

Architecture

The architectural style of the building is known as Depression Modern or PWA Moderne.[2] The building features a symmetrical façade with a central section that is flanked by two lower sections. The exterior is composed of buff colored brick and Bedford limestone trim. It is three-stories tall and built on a raised basement. On the interior the central corridors extend the length of the building with the county offices opening onto the corridors. The building features multi-colored terrazzo floors, marble wainscoting and acoustic tiles. The court room was originally decorated in dark wood tones and Art Deco ornamentation.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2010-07-09). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Svendsen, Marlvs A. "PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA MPS" (PDF). National Park Service. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
  3. ↑ "Humboldt County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
  4. ↑ Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 98. ISBN 0-87069-189-9.
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