Lee County Courthouse (Fort Madison, Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lee County Courthouse
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 701 Ave. F Fort Madison, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1842 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Part of | Park-to-Park Residential Historic District (ID14001069) |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000777 |
| Added to NRHP | September 30, 1976 |
The Lee County Courthouse is an important building in Fort Madison, Iowa, United States. It helps run the government for the northern part of Lee County. This building was the very first courthouse in the county! It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 because of its historical importance. Later, in 2014, it became part of the Park-to-Park Residential Historic District. Lee County is unique because it has two courthouses. The southern part of the county uses a different courthouse in Keokuk.
History of the Courthouse
Construction on this courthouse began in 1841. The building and a jail were finished the next year, in 1842. The total cost was about $12,000, which was a lot of money back then! The basement walls are made of strong stone. The upper parts of the building are covered in brick.
The courthouse is built in the Greek Revival style. This means it looks like ancient Greek temples. It has four large Tuscan columns that hold up the front porch roof.
After the courthouse was finished, the main county government office moved to West Point. So, from 1843 to 1845, the Fort Madison courthouse was actually rented out. But in 1845, people in the county voted. They chose Fort Madison to be the main county seat again. Since then, the courthouse has been used for county business.
In 1848, the Iowa General Assembly (which is like Iowa's state parliament) made Keokuk a second county seat. This made Lee County the only county in Iowa with two courthouses! The county was divided into northern and southern parts by a line called the Sullivan Line.
The Fort Madison courthouse was greatly updated in 1876. During this time, a small dome-like structure called a cupola was added to the roof. This cupola was actually part of the building's first designs. Sadly, it was lost in a fire in 1911. When the building was fixed up after the fire, the cupola was not replaced. Two extra sections were also built onto the back of the courthouse, probably during these updates.
