Jones County Courthouse (Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Jones County Court House
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 500 W. Main St. Anamosa, Iowa |
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| Area | less than 10 acres (4.0 ha) |
| Built | 1937 |
| Architect | Dougher, Rich and Woodburn |
| Architectural style | PWA Moderne |
| MPS | PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA MPS |
| NRHP reference No. | 03000822 |
| Added to NRHP | August 28, 2003 |
The Jones County Courthouse is an important building in Anamosa, Iowa. It was built in 1937 and is where the local government for Jones County does its work. This building is special because it's listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's a historically important place in the United States. It's also part of a group of courthouses built during a time called the PWA-Era. This courthouse is the third building Jones County has used for its court and government offices.
Contents
History of the Courthouse
Early Buildings
The very first Jones County Courthouse was built in 1847. It cost $800 to build. This building was about 30 feet by 40 feet (9 by 12 meters). People started using it on January 3, 1848. But by 1864, the county decided the building was not safe. They moved out of it. Later, in 1875, the old courthouse was destroyed by fire.
After the first building was gone, the county had to rent space. The city of Anamosa helped out. They spent $6,000 to buy the second floor of a building called the Shaw Block. This was to make sure the county's main office, called the county seat, would stay in Anamosa. There was a worry it might move to Center Junction. In 1920, there was a plan to build a new courthouse, but it didn't happen. The county offices were getting old and worn down. This made it hard to keep important county records safe.
Building the New Courthouse
The county leaders wanted a new building. They asked the Public Works Administration (PWA) for money. The PWA was a government program that helped build things during the Great Depression. On September 10, 1935, people in Jones County voted. About 77 percent of them agreed to build a new courthouse.
Architects from Des Moines, Dougher, Rich & Woodburn, designed the new building. Once the PWA approved the money, digging for the foundation began. The first stone, called the cornerstone, was placed on August 9, 1936. A company from Council Bluffs, C.C. Larsen & Sons Co., won the job to build it.
The building took a bit longer to finish. There were some delays and it cost more than planned. The final cost for the courthouse was $200,000. County offices moved into the new building in August 1937. A special ceremony was held on September 10, 1937. Almost 6,000 people came to celebrate! The governor at the time, Nelson G. Kraschel, gave the main speech. Other important speakers included P.P. Hopkins, who was the PWA Director for the state, and Justice J.M. Parsons from the Iowa Supreme Court. Justice Parsons was from Jones County.
Courthouse Design
Architectural Style
The Jones County Courthouse was built in a style called Depression Modern or PWA Moderne. This style was popular during the Great Depression. It looks strong and simple. The building has a balanced front, called a façade. The middle part is taller, with two shorter sections on each side.
The outside of the building is made of light brown bricks. It also has trim made from Bedford limestone. The courthouse is three stories tall. It sits on a raised basement, which means the first floor is a bit higher off the ground.
Inside the Building
Inside the courthouse, long hallways run through the middle of each floor. The county offices open up into these hallways. The floors are made of a colorful material called terrazzo. The lower parts of the walls have marble panels, which is called wainscoting. The ceilings have special tiles that help control sound, called acoustic tiles. The courtroom, where trials happen, used to have dark wood and fancy decorations in the Art Deco style.
Courthouse Grounds
The courthouse stands on a large, rectangular piece of land. From here, you can see the Anamosa State Penitentiary on the west side of town. This land used to be a city park. It's considered an important part of the courthouse's history. The original flagpole in front of the building is also important. It's called a "contributing object" to the courthouse's historical listing. There are two monuments for veterans on the property, but these were added later and are not part of the original historical listing.
