Built 1901 NRHP Reference # 81000229 | Added to NRHP July 2, 1981 | |
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MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR | ||
The Clay County Courthouse, located in Spencer, Iowa, United States, was built in 1901. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
History
A commission chose Spencer Township as Clay County’s first county seat. Voters chose Peterson instead and allocated $6,000 for a courthouse. When the contractor submitted a bill for $7,500 he received $6,900. In 1871, the county seat moved to Spencer and officials constructed a courthouse for $1,333. The offices gradually outgrew the structure and they constructed a new courthouse for $4,435. The old courthouse was used for a barn, a cement block factory and then remodeled into two houses. Construction of the present facility began in 1900 the total cost was $60,000. The red stone Classical Revival building features a bronze covered dome.