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Dallas County Courthouse
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| Location: | Town Square Adel, Iowa |
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| Built: | 1902 |
| Architect: | W. T. Proudfoot George Bird |
| Architectural style: | Late 19th and 20th Century Revivals |
| Governing body: | Local |
| MPS: | County Courthouses in Iowa TR |
| NRHP Reference#: | 73000723 [1] |
| Added to NRHP: | November 26, 1973 |
The Dallas County Courthouse in Adel, Iowa, United States was built in 1902. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and is a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource.[1] The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
Dallas County’s first courthouse was a log cabin constructed of cottonwood logs and served the county from 1848-1853.[2] A second courthouse was built and used for another five years when the third courthouse was built. It was a two-story brick structure that measured 64 by 42 feet, and was built for $20,000.[2] The present courthouse was authorized around the turn of the 20th century and its dedication was held in September 1902.
The courthouse, designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot & Bird,[1] was modeled on a French castle and cost $109,243 to build.[2] It is constructed of Bedford stone and features a tower that is 128 feet (39 m) high.[2] Statues of the goddess of Justice flank the main entrance. A clock that cost $1,000 is in the tower.[2] An ongoing renovation project in recent years has seen courtrooms and halls repainted in their original color schemes and the rotunda has been restored. New light fixtures match the wrought iron of the Grand Stair Case.[2] The final stage of the project is an $80,000 restoration of the artwork on the ceiling.
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