Appanoose County Courthouse

The Appanoose County Courthouse is located in the county seat of Centerville, Iowa, United States. The courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. In 1997 it was included as a contributing property in the Courthouse Square Historic District.[2]

Appanoose County Courthouse in April 2019.
Appanoose County Courthouse
LocationCenterville, Iowa
Coordinates40°44′1.58″N 92°52′28.09″W
Built1903
Built byW.M. Peatman
ArchitectSmith & Gage
Architectural styleLate 19th and 20th Century Revivals
Part ofCourthouse Square Historic District (ID97001291)
MPSCounty Courthouses in Iowa TR
NRHP reference No.81000225[1]
Added to NRHPJuly 2, 1981

History

The first structure used for court purposes in Appanoose County was also used as a storeroom and a blacksmith's shop.[3] The first true courthouse was a 24-by-20-foot (7.3 by 6.1 m) structure built in 1848 for $160 in Centerville.[4] After the county outgrew this building, court sessions were held in the Methodist and Presbyterian churches while another courthouse was built. It was a two-story, brick building built for $23,000.[3] In 1891 it was declared unsafe and condemned.

The architects for the present courthouse was the Des Moines architectural firm Smith and Gage.[5] In February 1903 the contract, exclusive of heating and plumbing, was awarded to William Peatman, the amount of his bid being $69,900. The cornerstone was laid on May 21, 1903. The courthouse was dedicated on September 12, 1904, and rededicated in a festive ceremony on September 12, 2004.

Architecture

The two-story rusticated limestone structure is built on a high foundation. Its eclectic appearance combines large polygonal bays and rock-faced stone from the medieval revivals with classical details found in the pediments and the pilastered main entrance.[5] A large round arch window is located over the main entrance, and the building is capped with a two-stage central clock tower.

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 15, 2006.
  2. Molly Myers Naumann. "Courthouse Square Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-08-04.
  3. "Appanoose County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2015-12-28.
  4. Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 14. ISBN 0-87069-189-9.
  5. M.H. Bowers. "Appanoose County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2015-12-28. with photo
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