Built 1880 Opened 1880 Added to NRHP 2 July 1981 | NRHP Reference # 81000276 Architectural style Italianate architecture | |
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Location 921 Central Ave.
Northwood, Iowa MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR | ||
The Old Worth County Courthouse in Northwood, Iowa, United States was built in 1880. 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 was the first building the county used for court functions and county administration. The building functions as the Main Museum for the Worth County Historical Society.
History
In 1879 an attempt was made by Kensett, Iowa to have the county seat of Worth County moved to their town. To ensure that the county seat stayed in Northwood the town raised the money for the courthouse and donated the land for the building. A brick Italianate style building was built in 1880 for $4,400 It was replaced in 1893 by the present courthouse.
After its use as a courthouse the building served as a high school for twenty years. After that it was used as a public library on the main floor and as a youth center on the second floor. On July 4, 1973 the Worth County Historical Society opened a museum in the building.