Allamakee County Court House
Encyclopedia
The Allamakee County Court House in Waukon, 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. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
as to which one would be the county seat in Allamakee County. There were ten separate elections to determine the county seat before the American Civil War
. A courthouse was completed in Waukon for $13,635 in 1861. In 1867 the Iowa Supreme Court finally ruled that Waukon was the county seat. The building constructed in 1861 served as the county courthouse until 1940.
The county board of supervisors applied for and received a grant in 1938 from the Public Works Administration
, or PWA, to pay for 45 percent of the constructions costs for a new courthouse. On September 22 of the same year voters approved a referendum that authorized $105,000 in bonds to be sold for construction. Decorah
architect Charles Altfillisch was chosen to design the building. Bids for construction were let in March 1939 and Rye & Henkel of Mason City, Iowa
won the contract. The Allamakee County Court House was the last PWA funded courthouse built in Iowa.
. On the interior the central corridors extend the length of the building and various county offices open onto the corridor. The interior featured a monochromatic color palate and terrazzo
floors that were laid out in large squares. The corridors were finished in plaster and marble and aluminum handrails were used in the staircases. There were more structural problems associated with this courthouse that any others that were built in the PWA era in Iowa. A Civil War
monument dating from the 1920s stands on the courthouse grounds.
Waukon, Iowa
Waukon is a city in Makee Township,Allamakee County, Iowa, United States, and the county seat of Allamakee County. The population was 4,131 at the 2000 census. It is home to the annual .-History:...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
was built in 1940. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 2003 as a part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA Multiple Properties Submission. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
History
There was a long and bitter fight between the towns of Waukon and LansingLansing, Iowa
Lansing is a city in Lansing Township, Allamakee County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,012 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lansing's longitude and latitude coordinatesin decimal form are 43.361525, -91.223378...
as to which one would be the county seat in Allamakee County. There were ten separate elections to determine the county seat before the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. A courthouse was completed in Waukon for $13,635 in 1861. In 1867 the Iowa Supreme Court finally ruled that Waukon was the county seat. The building constructed in 1861 served as the county courthouse until 1940.
The county board of supervisors applied for and received a grant in 1938 from the Public Works Administration
Public Works Administration
The Public Works Administration , part of the New Deal of 1933, was a large-scale public works construction agency in the United States headed by Secretary of the Interior Harold L. Ickes. It was created by the National Industrial Recovery Act in June 1933 in response to the Great Depression...
, or PWA, to pay for 45 percent of the constructions costs for a new courthouse. On September 22 of the same year voters approved a referendum that authorized $105,000 in bonds to be sold for construction. Decorah
Decorah, Iowa
Decorah is a city in and the county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,172 at the 2000 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of State Highway 9 and U.S...
architect Charles Altfillisch was chosen to design the building. Bids for construction were let in March 1939 and Rye & Henkel of Mason City, Iowa
Mason City, Iowa
Mason City is the county seat of Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 28,079 in the 2010 census, a decline from 29,172 in the 2000 census. The Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of Cerro Gordo and Worth counties....
won the contract. The Allamakee County Court House was the last PWA funded courthouse built in Iowa.
Architecture
The architectural style of the building is known as Depression Modern or PWA Moderne. The exterior of the building is composed of pressed brick and Bedford limestoneIndiana Limestone
Indiana Limestone, also known as Bedford Limestone is a common regional term for Salem limestone, a geological formation primarily quarried in south central Indiana between Bloomington and Bedford....
. On the interior the central corridors extend the length of the building and various county offices open onto the corridor. The interior featured a monochromatic color palate and terrazzo
Terrazzo
Terrazzo is a composite material poured in place or precast, which is used for floor and wall treatments. It consists of marble, quartz, granite, glass or other suitable chips, sprinkled or unsprinkled, and poured with a binder that is cementitious, chemical or a combination of both...
floors that were laid out in large squares. The corridors were finished in plaster and marble and aluminum handrails were used in the staircases. There were more structural problems associated with this courthouse that any others that were built in the PWA era in Iowa. A Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
monument dating from the 1920s stands on the courthouse grounds.
See also
- Allamakee County CourthouseAllamakee County CourthouseThe Allamakee County Courthouse is the county’s historic courthouse located in Waukon, Iowa. It was built in 1861 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource...
, the 1861 courthouse that is also listed on the National Register of Historic Places.