Floyd County Court House
|
Floyd County Court House | |
 | |
  | |
| Location | 101 S. Main St., Charles City, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°3′56″N 92°40′54″W / 43.06556°N 92.68167°WCoordinates: 43°3′56″N 92°40′54″W / 43.06556°N 92.68167°W |
| Built | 1940 |
| Architect | Hansen & Waggoner |
| Governing body | County Government |
| MPS | PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA MPS |
| NRHP Reference # | 03000816[1] |
| Added to NRHP | August 28, 2003 |
The Floyd County Court House in Charles City, Iowa, United States was built in 1940. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 as a part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA Multiple Properties Submission.[1] It is the only property in this group, however, that was built with funding from the Public Works Administration, or PWA.[2] The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.[2]
History
In the early years of the county records were kept in the homes or businesses of county officials.[3] The first courthouse was a two story structure that was built of stone for $18,000 in 1861.[3] The building featured a cupola on top and a self-supporting roof. Lightning struck the cupola on June 7, 1874. A fire destroyed the courthouse in 1881, but most of the county records were saved. A new courthouse was built on the foundation of the old one and was completed in 1881. It was constructed of brick and was trimmed in stone and cost $17,000 to build.[3]
In 1938 voters were asked to approve the sale of $110,000 in bonds to build a new courthouse.[2] The proposal was based on a matching grant of $90,000 from the PWA.[2] Mason City architects Hansen & Waggoner had been retained to design the new building, and a campaign to fund the courthouse contained their design sketch. The referendum passed on September 23, 1938, but the PWA funding was not approved.
The old courthouse was condemned in 1939, which necessitated emergency measures. A second referendum was approved by voters on March 25, 1940, but this time there was no PWA funding and the amount approved was double what it had been before. In April 1940 the county board of supervisors narrowly authorized construction of a new courthouse based on Hansen & Waggoner’s design on the same site as the previous courthouse.[2] Ground was broken on August 15, 1940 and the cornerstone was laid on October 19, 1940. The building was dedicated on October 10, 1941 with Governor George A. Wilson as the featured speaker. The total construction costs were $265,000.[2]
Architecture
The architectural style of the building is known as Depression Modern or PWA Moderne.[2] The building features a symmetrical façade with a central section that protrudes slightly forward. The exterior is composed of pressed brick and red granite trim. On the interior the central corridors extend the length of the building with the county offices opening onto the corridors. A central staircase was located opposite the main entrance.[2] The interior featured multi-colored terrazzo floors, marble wainscoting and glass blocks in office entrances and stairwell lights.
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-11-08.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 Svendsen, Marlvs A. "PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA MPS". National Park Service. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 "Floyd County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-02-12.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
