Linn County Courthouse (Iowa)
Encyclopedia
The Linn County Courthouse is located on May’s Island in the middle of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, Iowa
, United States
. It, along with the Veterans Memorial Building
, is a contributing property
to the May's Island Historic District
that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1978. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
. The building was two-stories tall and constructed of brick. As Cedar Rapids vied for Marion to be the county seat a second courthouse was built in Marion in 1855. Cedar Rapids deeded a plot of land to the county for a courthouse in 1919. Even though voters failed to support a $1.3 million bond referendum to build the courthouse the board of supervisors continued to plan for a new buildiing. In 1922 voters passed a smaller bond referendum.
The present courthouse was built of Bedford Limestone
in the Beaux-Arts style. Ten columns adorn the front of the three-story building. The interior walls were built of travertine
and marble covers the floors. The building sustained damage from the Iowa flood of 2008
. The upper floors of the courthouse reopened in October that year. The lower level, which housed juvenile court offices and record storage, was not. It will be remodeled into courtroom space. FEMA is expected to fund $6.2 million of the estimated $8.5 million required to renovate the building.
Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. It, along with the Veterans Memorial Building
Veterans Memorial Building (Cedar Rapids, Iowa)
The Veteran’s Memorial Building is located on May’s Island in the middle of the Cedar River in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, United States. It, along with the Linn County Courthouse, is a contributing property to the May's Island Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places...
, is a contributing property
Contributing property
In the law regulating historic districts in the United States, a contributing resource or contributing property is any building, structure, or object which adds to the historical integrity or architectural qualities that make the historic district, listed locally or federally, significant...
to the May's Island Historic District
Mays Island
Mays Island is a small island in the Cedar River, in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Functioning as a civic center rather much like the Île de la Cité, it is the site of the city hall, the Linn County Courthouse, and the county jail. It was listed as an Historic District on the National Register of Historic...
that 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. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
History
The county’s first courthouse was built for $40,000 in 1942 in MarionMarion, Iowa
Marion is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. The population was 26,294 at the 2000 census and was estimated at 32,172 in 2007. The city is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area.- History :...
. The building was two-stories tall and constructed of brick. As Cedar Rapids vied for Marion to be the county seat a second courthouse was built in Marion in 1855. Cedar Rapids deeded a plot of land to the county for a courthouse in 1919. Even though voters failed to support a $1.3 million bond referendum to build the courthouse the board of supervisors continued to plan for a new buildiing. In 1922 voters passed a smaller bond referendum.
The present courthouse was built of Bedford Limestone
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....
in the Beaux-Arts style. Ten columns adorn the front of the three-story building. The interior walls were built of travertine
Travertine
Travertine is a form of limestone deposited by mineral springs, especially hot springs. Travertine often has a fibrous or concentric appearance and exists in white, tan, and cream-colored varieties. It is formed by a process of rapid precipitation of calcium carbonate, often at the mouth of a hot...
and marble covers the floors. The building sustained damage from the Iowa flood of 2008
Iowa flood of 2008
The Iowa flood of 2008 was a hydrological event involving most of the rivers in eastern Iowa beginning around June 8, 2008 and ending about July 1. Flooding continued on the Upper Mississippi River in the southeastern portion of the state for several more days...
. The upper floors of the courthouse reopened in October that year. The lower level, which housed juvenile court offices and record storage, was not. It will be remodeled into courtroom space. FEMA is expected to fund $6.2 million of the estimated $8.5 million required to renovate the building.