Woodbury County Courthouse | |
 Woodbury County Courthouse | |
   | |
| Location | 620 Douglas Street Sioux City, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°29′49.6″N96°24′21.6″W / 42.497111°N 96.406000°W /42.497111; -96.406000 |
| Area | Less than 2 acres (0.81 ha) |
| Built | 1918 |
| Architect | George Grant Elmslie, William L. Steele, William Gray Purcell |
| Architectural style | Prairie School |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR (AD) |
| NRHP reference No. | 73000744 |
| Significant dates | |
| Added to NRHP | December 18, 1973[1] |
| Designated NHL | June 19, 1996[2] |
TheWoodbury County Courthouse is located at 620 Douglas Street inSioux City, the county seat ofWoodbury County, Iowa, United States. It is regarded as "one of the finestPrairie School buildings in the United States"[3] and has been declared aNational Historic Landmark for its architecture. It is used for legal proceedings in the county.
Initially, crude log structures were used for county business.[4] Sioux City was made thecounty seat in 1856, and it was at this time a county-owned courthouse was considered. It was to be located on the public square and the foundation was laid in 1857. The contract to complete the building was let two years later, but it was canceled before construction could begin. County offices continued to be located in various locations in the city.
Voters approved the construction of a courthouse in October 1875. It was designed by Des Moines architectWilliam L. Foster and built by brothers Charles E. Hedges and Daniel T. Hedges for $75,000. Designed in theSecond Empire style, the building was composed ofKasota limestone. It featured amansard roof with ironcresting and a corner tower capped with a dome and a statue ofLady Justice.[4]
In 1914, the county determined that the courthouse was too small for the city and they decided to build a new one. The old courthouse was sold and the new one, designed by the Minneapolis architectGeorge Grant Elmslie in collaboration with the Sioux City architectWilliam L. Steele and Elmslie's partner,William Gray Purcell, was constructed from July 10, 1916 to March 1, 1918 at a cost of $850,000. This building is the current courthouse, located at the southeast corner of Douglas and Seventh Streets. It is a nearly square four story structure, built out ofRoman brick, withgranite and terra cotta trim elements. It has a 157-foot (48 m) eight-story tower, and features sculptural work byAlfonso Iannelli over its doors. The northern entrance features metal grillwork designed by Elmslie. The interior floors are marble, and the central rotunda features a glass mosaic drinking fountain in one wall. All ornamental metal work was produced by Crown Iron Works of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The interior murals were painted by John Norton ofChicago.[3]
In 1973, the building was added to theNational Register of Historic Places. It was declared aNational Historic Landmark in 1996.[2][3]
{{cite journal}}:Cite journal requires|journal= (help) andAccompanying 25 photos, exterior and interior, from 1993. (6.23 MB)
Media related toWoodbury County Courthouse at Wikimedia Commons
