Fayette County Courthouse (Iowa)

(Redirected from Fayette County Courthouse (West Union, Iowa)) United States historic place


Fayette County Courthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district Contributing property


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Location	114 North Pine Street West Union, Iowa
Coordinates	42°57′38″N 91°48′21″W / 42.96056°N 91.80583°W / 42.96056; -91.80583
Area	less than one acre
Built	1923
Architect	J.G. Ralston
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts
Part of	West Union Commercial Historic District (ID15000191)
MPS	County Courthouses in Iowa TR
NRHP reference No.	81000236
Added to NRHP	July 2, 1981

The Fayette County Courthouse in West Union, Iowa, United States was built in 1923. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 2015 it was included as a contributing property in the West Union Commercial Historic District. The current courthouse is the third facility to house court functions and county administration.

History

West Union was named the county seat of Fayette County when it was established, but opposition to its being the county seat prevented a courthouse from being constructed. The opposition came mainly from people in the south, while centrally located Fayette offered to build a courthouse for the county there. With that in mind, the citizens of West Union offered to contribute $3,000 toward the construction of a courthouse in their town. A two-story brick building measuring 40 by 60 feet (12 m × 18 m) was built in West Union in 1857 for $8,000. County citizens refused to build a jail, however, and a section of the northwest corner of the courthouse was fashioned for that purpose. A prisoner in the jail facilities set fire to the structure as he escaped in 1872. While the building was destroyed, most of the records were saved.

As the county seat controversy rose again, businessmen from West Union offered to rebuild the courthouse contingent on the county appropriating $5,000 for the project and their ability to salvage whatever was useful from the destroyed courthouse. The second courthouse was completed in 1874 based on the businessmen's offer. However, the building was built too small, and growth in the county led to a succession of additions and improvements between 1894 and 1896. On February 5, 1922, this courthouse was also destroyed in a fire and work began quickly to replace it.

Waterloo, Iowa architect John G. Ralston was contracted to design the present courthouse. The cornerstone was laid June 21, 1923, and it was dedicated October 8, 1924. Its final construction costs amounted to $299,000. Its significance is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of West Union as the county seat.

Architecture

The building was designed in a simplified Beaux-Arts style. It is three stories tall with an exterior that is faced with Bedford Stone. The base of the building is composed of granite. Large pilasters separate window bays on the second and third stories and the building is accessed through solid bronze doors. The interior features a domed skylight, extensive use of marble, plaster cornices, brass railings, and ceramic tile floors. The walls of the courtroom feature strips of wood that are applied in angular patterns. At its opening, the building housed a room displaying memorabilia from the Grand Army of the Republic.

References

^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
Janice Olive Full. "National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form: West Union Commercial Historic District" (PDF). City of West Union. Retrieved 2016-10-11.
Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 72. ISBN 0-87069-189-9.
"Fayette County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
^ M.H. Bowers. "Fayette County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-09-12. with photo
"Souvenir Booklet" (PDF). Fayette County. p. 13. Retrieved 2015-07-24.

v t e County courthouses in Iowa
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List of counties in Iowa ♦ List of county courthouses in Iowa

v t e National Register of Historic Places in Fayette County, Iowa
Arlington	August Nus Polygonal Barn
Clermont	Abraham Lincoln Statue and Park Bigler Building Church of the Saviour Episcopal Church and David Henderson Statue Clermont Public School Montauk Union Sunday School
Eldorado	Eldorado Bridge The Elgin Block Mill Race Bridge
Fayette	Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company Depot College Hall Twin Bridge
Maynard	Maynard Town Hall and Jail
Oelwein	Alfred Hanson House Hotel Mealey Otter Creek Bridge Stoe Creek Bridge
St. Lucas	St. Luke's School and Recreation Center
Sumner	Sumner Bridge
Wadena	Hardware Building
West Union	Fayette County Courthouse First Baptist Church of West Union Grimes Octagon Barn Hobson Block Maple View Sanitarium Vine Street Bridge West Auburn Bridge West Union Commercial Historic District
See also: National Register of Historic Places listings in Fayette County, Iowa and List of National Historic Landmarks in Iowa

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