Built 1885-1887 NRHP Reference # 81000273 Added to NRHP 2 July 1981 | Built by T. Colwell, et al. Opened 1887 Architect William Foster | |
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MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR Similar Blair House, Louisa County Courthouse, Jefferson County Courthouse, Jonathan Clark Conger H, Pottawattamie County Courthouse | ||
The Washington County Courthouse in Washington, Iowa, United States was built in 1887. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 2013 it was included as a contributing property in the Washington Downtown Historic District. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
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History
Washington County’s first courthouse was an 28-by-18-foot (8.5 by 5.5 m) frame building built in 1859. It was used as a school house and church as well as a courthouse. The second courthouse was built in 1847. The county was not satisfied with the carpentry work performed so they deducted $50 from the cupola alone and $110 on the balance of the building. The present courthouse was built for $75,000 in 1887.
Architecture
The courthouse for Washington County is considered an excellent example of Victorian Romanesque courthouses in Iowa. It features a variety of arch forms, and a three-stage clock tower. It was constructed of locally made bricks and was trimmed in stone. The bell in the clock tower is made of bronze, tin and brass.