Lyon County Courthouse (Iowa) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Lyon County Courthouse
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Lyon County Courthouse
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | 3rd and Story Sts. Rock Rapids, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1916-1917 |
| Built by | Amwold Construction |
| Architect | Joseph Schwartz |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 79000913 |
| Added to NRHP | October 1, 1979 |
The Lyon County Courthouse is an important building located in Rock Rapids, Iowa, United States. It's where many important decisions for Lyon County are made, like court cases and county business. This historic building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it's recognized as a special place worth preserving. It's actually the second courthouse the county has used!
A Look Back: The Courthouse Story
When Lyon County was first set up in 1872, county business was handled in people's homes in a town called Beloit. A "county" is a part of a state, and a "county seat" is the main town where the county government is located.
In 1873, Rock Rapids was chosen as the county seat. This was because it was in a good central spot. The very first courthouse was built there in 1875.
That first building was a three-story wooden structure. It had a special roof shape called a hipped roof. Later, that old building was moved a few blocks away. It was covered in stucco and painted green, then became an apartment building.
The courthouse you see today was started in 1916. It was finished the next year, in 1917. The cost to build it was about $109,695.13.
Cool Features of the Courthouse
The courthouse was designed in a style called Beaux-Arts. This style often looks grand and fancy. The architect who designed it was Joseph Schwartz from Sioux Falls.
The front of the building has a special covered porch area called a loggia. It has eight tall columns that go from the second floor all the way to the top of the third floor. There are windows set back behind these columns.
A decorative ledge, called a cornice, runs just below the flat roof. The building is covered in a type of stone called Bedford stone. It is about 110 feet (33.5 meters) long and 71 feet (21.6 meters) wide. It stands about 52 feet (15.8 meters) tall.
Look closely above the main entrance! You'll see a stone lion lying down. This is a fun play on the county's name, Lyon.
Inside the courthouse, there's a round room in the center called a rotunda. It has a beautiful stained glass skylight dome in the ceiling. On the floor, you can see the county seal made from small pieces of ceramic tile in a mosaic pattern.
The main staircases and hallways have walls covered with fancy Italian marble. On the third floor, there are four large paintings called murals. These murals show scenes like Pioneer, Immigrant, Rock Rapids 1873, and Modern Farm 1917. They might have been painted by William Peaco.
