Fayette County Courthouse (Iowa)

Fayette County Courthouse
Location: Pine St. West Union, Iowa
Built: 1923
Architect: J.G. Ralston
Architectural style: Beaux Arts
Governing body: Local
MPS: County Courthouses in Iowa TR
NRHP Reference#: 81000236 [1]
Added to NRHP: July 2, 1981

The Fayette County Courthouse in West Union, Iowa, United States was built in 1923. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource.[1] The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

History

The first courthouse in Fayette County was built in West Union for $8,000.[2] It was a brick building that measured 40 by 60 feet.[2] The county jail was located in the building and a prisoner set fire to the structure as he escaped in 1872. Another courthouse was built two years later. Because of growth in the county it had a successions of additions and improvements between 1894-1896. In 1922 this courthouse was also destroyed in a fire. The present courthouse was built the following year for $299,000.[2] The Beaux Arts building was constructed in Bedford Stone and the main entrance is solid bronze.

References