Clayton County Courthouse (Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Clayton County Courthouse
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 111 High St. Elkader, Iowa |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1868, 1878 |
| Built by | O.F. Davis, Lyman Tyler C.R. Moulton, A.E. Tyler |
| Architectural style | Italianate |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000745 |
| Added to NRHP | October 8, 1976 |
The Clayton County Courthouse is an important building located in Elkader, Iowa, United States. It was built in 1878. This courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which means it's a special historic site.
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A Home for the County Government
The main office for Clayton County (called the county seat) moved around a lot. Between 1840 and 1876, it was in different towns. These included Prairie La Porte, Jacksonville, Garnavillo, Elkader, and Guttenberg. Finally, Elkader was chosen as the permanent county seat.
In 1866, an old courthouse in Garnavillo was sold. The money helped pay for a new courthouse in Elkader. At first, the county leaders only wanted to spend $2,000 each year on the new building. But because there was still a debate about where the county seat should be, the county and the town of Elkader worked together. They raised $10,000 to build the new courthouse.
Building the Courthouse
The first part of the courthouse we see today was finished in 1868. It was about 75 by 25 feet (22.9 by 7.6 m) in size. This part was made of red brick with a strong stone foundation. It had arched windows with fancy stone tops. Inside, there were two offices on each floor and two secure vaults.
Ten years later, in 1878, a larger section was added. This addition was about 75 by 50 feet (23 by 15 m). It gave the building its current square shape. The stone for the foundation came from local quarries. The new part also used the same red brick and had white painted wood trim.
The building is designed in the Italianate style. This style often features wide eaves and decorative brackets. The roof is a hip roof, which slopes inward from all sides.
Later Additions
A two-stage clock tower was added to the courthouse in 1896. This tower has a platform where people could look out. At the very top, there is a black arrow weathervane. In 1971, a new front entrance was built. Inside, the main staircase is not the original one. However, its banisters and newel posts (the main posts at the ends of the banister) are from the first building.
Civil War Monument
A special monument honoring the Civil War was placed on the courthouse grounds in 1919. It stands on the south side of the building. The monument has a tall central tower. On this tower, there is a plaque with a picture of Abraham Lincoln. It also has the words from his famous Gettysburg Address.
The plaque is framed by Doric columns and topped with a bronze eagle. On either side of the tower are bronze panels. These panels show scenes from Civil War battles in a style called bas relief (where the images stick out slightly from the surface).
At both ends of the monument, there are 6-foot (1.8 m) tall bronze statues. One statue shows an infantry soldier, and the other shows a sailor. The entire monument is about 18.5 feet (5.6 m) long and 15 feet (4.6 m) high. It is made of Barre granite.
