Fremont County Courthouse (Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Fremont County Courthouse
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Clay St. Sidney, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1889 |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000238 |
| Added to NRHP | July 2, 1981 |
The Fremont County Courthouse is a historic building in Sidney, Iowa, United States. It was built in 1889. This courthouse is important because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. It is part of a special group of historic courthouses in Iowa. This building is the second one used for court meetings and county business in Fremont County.
Contents
A Look Back: The Courthouse Story
Early Days of Fremont County
Fremont County was officially started in 1850. The very first "county seat" was in a small town called Austin. A county seat is the main town where the county government is located. Austin was about 7.5 miles (12.1 km) south of Sidney. At that time, Austin only had two houses! Court meetings were held in a storeroom at A.H. Argyle's home.
Moving to Sidney
The county seat moved to Sidney the very next year, in 1851. In 1860, leaders in the county decided to build a proper courthouse. They built a two-story brick building. It had a strong brick tower and a tin roof. This building cost $40,000 to build. The county paid for it by selling some land.
A Damaged Building
Sadly, the first courthouse was badly damaged in 1863. Its windows and doors were blown out. The second floor and roof were also moved out of place. The county spent money to fix the building. However, cracks in the walls kept getting bigger over the years. So, the county decided it was time to build a brand new courthouse.
The Current Courthouse Building
The courthouse you see today is a two-story brick building. It was built in 1889. For the time it was built, it looks quite simple.
Special Features of the Building
The building has some interesting parts. The main entrance has a porch with round arches. These arches sit on short, strong granite columns. The brick walls also have special windows called dormers. These dormers have triangular tops and round "oculus" windows. The short tower on the roof has several small shed dormers. At one point, the outside of the building was covered with a material called stucco.
Location and Importance
The courthouse stands on a double square of land. This is quite rare for buildings in Iowa. This building is important because it represents the county government. It also shows the political power and importance of Sidney as the county seat.
