Built 1894 Opened 1894 Added to NRHP 2 July 1981 | NRHP Reference # 81000234 Architect Charles E. Bell | |
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MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR Similar Coffin's Grove Stagecoach House, Benton County Courthouse (Iowa), J.J. Hoag House | ||
The Delaware County Courthouse, located in Manchester, Iowa, United States, was built in 1894. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The current structure is the third building to house court functions and county administration.
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History
The first courthouse in Delaware County was a log structure in Delhi. The two-story structure measured 18 by 24 feet (5.5 m × 7.3 m) and had no roof. Jurors were required to climb a ladder to the jury room on the second floor. A second courthouse was built in 1850 and because no contractors available to build the facility, citizens performed the work using their own tools. The county seat moved to Manchester and occupied the current courthouse in 1894 which was completed for $38,000. Donations from 700 county citizens contributed funded the clock in the tower.
Architecture
Bell & Kent of Council Bluffs designed the Romanesque Revival building, which is constructed of red pressed brick. The main body of the building measures 76 by 100 feet (23 m × 30 m). The tower and spire are 135 feet (41 m) high, and the walls of the building are 18 inches (46 cm) thick. The decorative metal ceilings on the first floor and the elaborate woodwork are original to the building.