Greene County Courthouse (Iowa)
Encyclopedia
The Greene County Courthouse, located in Jefferson, Iowa
, United States
, was built in 1918. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
The first courthouse in Greene County
was a frame building built in 1856 for $1,825. Prior to that time the county officers were housed in the Thomas Phillips Building. The second courthouse was competed in 1870 for $37,000. The building featured a bell in the cupola
that served as a fire alarm, called the court into session and curfew. The present courthouse was dedicated in 1917 and was built at a cost of $200,000. A monument
to President Abraham Lincoln
was added in 1918 to commemorate the Lincoln Highway
, which passes in front of the courthouse.
The Mahanay Tower was added to the courthouse grounds in 1966.
In 1993 the Lindsey Memorial, which originally stood at the Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden, Germany, was placed on the courthouse grounds. It commemorates Greene County native Darrell R. Lindsey
, who posthumously received the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II
.
of Des Moines designed the building in the Beaux Arts style. It is constructed of Bedford Stone
and in three-stories tall. The floor of the central rotunda
features a 14 foot (4.3 m) mosaic tile reproduction of the county seal. William Peaco painted the four murals that adorn the inner dome. They are titled: The Buffalo Hunt, The Emigrants, The Pioneer and The Modern Farm.
Bell Foundry in Aarle-Rixtel
the Netherlands
. The bells chime on the hour, quarter hour, half-hour and three-quarters’ hour. Music is played daily on an electric keyboard. The tower has a 120 foot (36.6 m) observation deck that is accessed by way of a glass elevator.
Jefferson, Iowa
Jefferson is a city in Greene County, Iowa, United States, along the North Raccoon River. The population was 4,626 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Greene County. It is the home of the Mahanay Memorial Bell Tower, tall, located on the town square, and visible for miles. The tower is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, was built in 1918. 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 1978 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
History
Greene County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 9,336 in the county, with a population density of . There were 4,546 housing units, of which 3,996 were occupied.-2000 census:...
was a frame building built in 1856 for $1,825. Prior to that time the county officers were housed in the Thomas Phillips Building. The second courthouse was competed in 1870 for $37,000. The building featured a bell in the cupola
Cupola
In architecture, a cupola is a small, most-often dome-like, structure on top of a building. Often used to provide a lookout or to admit light and air, it usually crowns a larger roof or dome....
that served as a fire alarm, called the court into session and curfew. The present courthouse was dedicated in 1917 and was built at a cost of $200,000. A monument
Lincoln Statue (Jefferson, Iowa)
Lincoln Statue is an historic structure located on the grounds of the Greene County Courthouse in Jefferson, Iowa, United States. It was erected in 1918 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1993. The statue is a replica of W. Granville Hastings’ statue in Cincinnati, Ohio, ...
to President Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln
Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from March 1861 until his assassination in April 1865. He successfully led his country through a great constitutional, military and moral crisis – the American Civil War – preserving the Union, while ending slavery, and...
was added in 1918 to commemorate the Lincoln Highway
Lincoln Highway
The Lincoln Highway was the first road across the United States of America.Conceived and promoted by entrepreneur Carl G. Fisher, the Lincoln Highway spanned coast-to-coast from Times Square in New York City to Lincoln Park in San Francisco, originally through 13 states: New York, New Jersey,...
, which passes in front of the courthouse.
The Mahanay Tower was added to the courthouse grounds in 1966.
In 1993 the Lindsey Memorial, which originally stood at the Lindsey Air Station in Wiesbaden, Germany, was placed on the courthouse grounds. It commemorates Greene County native Darrell R. Lindsey
Darrell R. Lindsey
Darrell Robins Lindsey was a bomber pilot in the U.S. Army Air Forces during World War II and a posthumous recipient of the Medal of Honor.-Biography:...
, who posthumously received the Congressional Medal of Honor during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Architecture
Proudfoot, Bird & RawsonProudfoot & Bird
Proudfoot & Bird et al. was an American architectural firm or partnership that designed many buildings in the U.S. midwest. Partners included Willis Thomas Proudfoot and George Washington Bird and Harry Dustan Rawson...
of Des Moines designed the building in the Beaux Arts style. It is constructed of Bedford Stone
Indiana 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....
and in three-stories tall. The floor of the central rotunda
Rotunda (architecture)
A rotunda is any building with a circular ground plan, sometimes covered by a dome. It can also refer to a round room within a building . The Pantheon in Rome is a famous rotunda. A Band Rotunda is a circular bandstand, usually with a dome...
features a 14 foot (4.3 m) mosaic tile reproduction of the county seal. William Peaco painted the four murals that adorn the inner dome. They are titled: The Buffalo Hunt, The Emigrants, The Pioneer and The Modern Farm.
Mahanay Tower
The bell tower was dedicated on October 16, 1966 and was built at a cost of $350,000. It was paid for by the estates of Mr. and Mrs. Floyd Mahanay. The 165 foot (50.3 m) tower contains 14 bells that were cast in the Petit & FritsenPetit & Fritsen
Royal Bellfounders Petit & Fritsen, based in Aarle-Rixtel, the Netherlands, is the oldest family-owned business in the Netherlands, with the foundry dating back to 1660. Included on List of oldest companies...
Bell Foundry in Aarle-Rixtel
Aarle-Rixtel
Aarle-Rixtel is a town in the Dutch municipality of Laarbeek in North Brabant. It lies about 4 km north of Helmond. Since 1997 the castle Croy is part of Aarle-Rixtel.Until 1997, Aarle-Rixtel was a separate municipality.-External links:*...
the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
. The bells chime on the hour, quarter hour, half-hour and three-quarters’ hour. Music is played daily on an electric keyboard. The tower has a 120 foot (36.6 m) observation deck that is accessed by way of a glass elevator.