Sac County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Sac County Courthouse
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 Location in Iowa
Location in the United States
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| Location | Main St. Sac City, Iowa |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1889 |
| Architect | J.M. Russell |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 81000268 |
| Added to NRHP | July 2, 1981 |
The Sac County Courthouse in Sac City, Iowa, United States, is a historic building. It was built in 1889 and is very important to the area. This courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's officially recognized as a special place in history. It's the third building Sac County has used for its court and government work.
A Look Back: Early Courthouses
The first courthouse for Sac County was built in 1860. It was a two-story building made of brick. The main courtroom was on the second floor. County offices, where people did government business, were on the first floor.
The county built a second courthouse in 1873. This one was also made of brick. Sadly, someone purposely set it on fire in 1888, and it was destroyed.
Building the Current Courthouse
The courthouse you see today was built in 1889. An architect named J.M. Russell from Storm Lake, Iowa designed it. The building has a simple, local style. However, its entrance arches show a bit of the Romanesque Revival style. This new courthouse looked a lot like one that had just been built in Storm Lake.
To pay for the building, the county used $15,000 from insurance money. The people living in the county also helped by raising another $15,000. The building was updated in 1900. Later, in 1977, a new courtroom was added to the east side.
What Does It Look Like?
The Sac County Courthouse is a two-story building made of red brick. A part of the building in the middle sticks out a little. This section has a stone arch that used to be the main entrance. You can see stone decorations in horizontal lines and around the windows.
The ends of the roof have special shoulder-shaped walls. The bottom part of the building is made of rough stone. The roof is a hipped roof, which slopes down on all sides. This courthouse is important because it shows how the county government works. It also highlights the importance of Sac City as the main town, or county seat, for the area.
