Mahaska County Courthouse facts for kids
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Mahaska 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 | Market St. and 2nd Ave. Oskaloosa, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1886 |
| Built by | O.J. King Co. & John Volk |
| Architect | H.C. Koch & Co. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival |
| Part of | Oskaloosa City Square Commercial Historic District (ID86000716) |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000255 |
| Added to NRHP | July 2, 1981 |
The Mahaska County Courthouse is a historic building in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States. It was built in 1886. This courthouse is where important county business happens. It is also where court cases are heard. The building is special because it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it is an important part of history. It is the second building Mahaska County has used for its government and court needs.
History of the Courthouse
Mahaska County needed a place for its government. So, the first courthouse was built in the winter of 1844-1845. It was a two-story wooden building. This first building was used for many things. It was a church, an opera house, and a courthouse.
The county stopped using this building in 1855. They rented office space in town instead. The old courthouse was later sold in 1867. It was moved to a new spot. A bank was then built where the first courthouse used to be.
People became worried about important county records. They wanted a safer place to keep them. So, plans were made to build a new courthouse. The current courthouse was built in the Romanesque Revival style. This style was popular for large, strong-looking buildings. It was built on part of the public park in Oskaloosa. The building cost $132,000 to build. It was officially opened in 1886. The design came from H.C. Koch & Company, an architecture firm from Milwaukee. The O.J. King Company built the courthouse.
Building Design and Features
The Mahaska County Courthouse is a large building. It has 3½ stories and is made of red brick and stone. The bottom part of the building has a strong, rough-looking stone base. This is called a rusticated foundation.
The main front of the building has a big stone arch. This arch goes around the entrance on the first floor. The building also has a tall central tower. This tower has a square clock at the top. It used to have a pyramid-shaped roof and was taller. But it was changed in 1934. Now, it has an Art Deco look. This mix of old and new styles gives the building a unique appearance.
You can see stone bands running around the building. These are called beltcourses. They are at the level of the window tops and where arches begin. The roof has special windows that stick out. These are called gabled wall dormers. They have arched windows. Outside the courthouse, there is a statue of Chief Mahaska. The county is named after him.
