Bremer County Court House

Last updated
Bremer County Court House
Bremer County IA Courthouse.jpg
USA Iowa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Location415 E. Bremer Ave.
Waverly, Iowa
Coordinates 42°43′34″N92°27′54″W / 42.72611°N 92.46500°W / 42.72611; -92.46500 Coordinates: 42°43′34″N92°27′54″W / 42.72611°N 92.46500°W / 42.72611; -92.46500
Areaabout 5 acres (2.0 ha)
Built1937
Built byDrape Construction Co.
Architect Mortimer B. Cleveland
MPS PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA MPS
NRHP reference No. 03000821 [1]
Added to NRHPAugust 28, 2003

The Bremer County Court House in Waverly, Iowa, United States, was built in 1937. 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] The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration. [2]

Contents

History

Bremer County's first courthouse was a small frame building used from 1854-1857. It was replaced by a two-story brick structure measuring 63 by 43 feet (19 by 13 m) at a cost of $23,000. [3] The jailer and his family lived in the basement. [4] It was used for a variety of civic purposes until 1869 when the county board of supervisors limited its use to political and county societies. A "fireproof" building was built next to the existing courthouse in 1870 to house county records and several county offices.

Throughout the 1920s and 1930s conversations were held at various times concerning a new courthouse to replace the 1857 structure, which had become too small. The county applied for funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1935 to assist with construction costs and received approval of the request of $60,750. This is one of ten courthouses in Iowa that received PWA funds. County supervisors retained Waterloo architect Mortimer Cleveland to design the new building and a debate began about moving the county seat to Tripoli, the supervisors tabled it. In March 1936, voters approved a referendum to fund the rest of the construction costs. Drape Construction Co. of Tripoli received the contract to build the building, and work commenced in October 1936 and was completed the following summer. Final construction cost was $119,000. The June 6, 1937 dedication ceremony seen by 1,500 people. [2] Justice Richard Mitchell of the Iowa Supreme Court and P.P. Hopkins, the State PWA Director, were the featured speakers. After the new courthouse was dedicated the old courthouse, as well as an old music pavilion and a fountain, were taken down from the square. [5] The square was then graded and landscaped.

Architecture

The architectural style of the building is known as Depression Modern or PWA Moderne. The building features a symmetrical façade with a central section of 3½ stories that is flanked by two lower sections of 2½ stories over a raised basement. The exterior is clad in brick and Kasota stone, a cream-colored limestone. A central corridor extends the length of the building on each floor and office spaces extend from the corridors. [2] The interior featured multi-colored terrazzo floors, marble wainscoting, and acoustic tile.

The building is located on the courthouse square on the east side of the central business district where the previous courthouse was also located. Two elements on the courthouse square, which itself is a contributing site, are contributing objects on the building's nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. [5] The first element is the building's original flagpole. The second is a replica of the Statue of Liberty (1950), which commemorates the 40th anniversary of the Boy Scouts of America.

Related Research Articles

Bremer County, Iowa U.S. county in Iowa

Bremer County is a county in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2020 census, the population was 24,988. Its county seat is Waverly. The county was named for Fredrika Bremer, a Swedish feminist writer.

Winnebago County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

Winnebago County Courthouse in Forest City, Iowa, United States, is a historic building and active courthouse. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.

Buchanan County Courthouse (Iowa) Historic building in Independence, Iowa, US

Buchanan County Court House in Independence, 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 current structure is the third courthouse to house court functions and county administration.

Jones County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Jones County Courthouse in Anamosa, Iowa, United States was built in 1937. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 as the "Jones County Court House." It is a part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA Multiple Properties Submission, and is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Humboldt County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Humboldt County Courthouse is located in Dakota City, Iowa, United States, and dates from 1939. 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 second building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Marshall County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Marshall County Courthouse is located in Marshalltown, Iowa, United States. The current building was completed in 1886 to replace an earlier building. The courthouse is a dominant landmark in downtown Marshalltown. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 2002 it was listed as a contributing property in the Marshalltown Downtown Historic District. It is the third building the county has used for a courthouse and county business.

Des Moines County Court House United States historic place

The Des Moines County Court House located in Burlington, 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 Iowa Multiple Properties Submission. The courthouse is the fourth structure to house court functions and county administration.

Audubon County Court House United States historic place

The Audubon County Court House is located in the county seat of Audubon, Iowa, United States. 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.

Warren County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Warren County Courthouse is located in Indianola, Iowa, United States. The courthouse that was built in 1939 was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 2003 as a part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA Multiple Properties Submission. It was the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration. The building was demolished in the summer of 2019 and removed from the NRHP in September of the same year. A new courthouse and justice center is expected to be completed in 2021.

Allamakee County Court House United States historic place

The Allamakee County Court House in Waukon, Iowa, United States was built in 1940. It was placed 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.

Floyd County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

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. It is the only property in this group, however, that was built without funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). The courthouse is the third structure to house court functions and county administration.

Cass County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Cass County Courthouse in Atlantic, Iowa, United States, was built in 1934 as the first courthouse in the state built with funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA). It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2003 as a part of the PWA-Era County Courthouses of Iowa Multiple Properties Submission. The courthouse is the third structure to house court functions and county administration.

Montgomery County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Montgomery County Courthouse is located in Red Oak, Iowa, United States. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. In 2016 it was included as a contributing property in the Red Oak Downtown Historic District. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Mitchell County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Mitchell County Courthouse in Osage, Iowa, United States, was built in 2015. The former courthouse, built in stages between 1858 and 1926, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the second building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Franklin County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Franklin County Courthouse in Hampton, Iowa, United States was built in 1891. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 2003 it was included as a contributing property in the Hampton Double Square Historic District. The courthouse is the third facility to house court functions and county administration.

Howard County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Howard County Courthouse in Cresco, Iowa, United States was built in 1880. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 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.

Shelby County Courthouse (Iowa) United States historic place

The Shelby County Courthouse in Harlan, Iowa, United States, was built in 1892. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 1994 it was included as a contributing property in the Harlan Courthouse Square Commercial District. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

United States Courthouse (Des Moines) United States historic place

The United States Courthouse, located in Des Moines, Iowa, is the headquarters for the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa. It is part of the Civic Center Historic District that was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988.

Dickinson County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Dickinson County Courthouse is located in Spirit Lake, Iowa, United States. Built in two phases in 2006 and 2009, it is the fourth building to house court functions and county administration.

Brown Street Historic District United States historic place

The Brown Street Historic District is a nationally recognized historic district located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1994, and its boundaries were increased in 2004. At the time of the boundary increase it consisted of 246 resources, which included 201 contributing buildings, one contributing structure, and 44 non-contributing buildings. Brown and East Ronalds Streets are both part of the city's original plat when it was laid out as the capitol of the Iowa Territory. They are located on the north edge of the plat. Its significance is derived from the settlement patterns here, the development of a major transportation corridor, the neighborhood's affiliation with the University of Iowa and its growth around the turn of the 20th century, and the architectural styles and forms that are found here from the 1850s to the 1920s. Many of the city's Bohemian-immigrant population lived here. Businessmen and blue-collar workers lived side by side to each other, as did professors from the University of Iowa. The old Military Road was routed on Brown Street, and after it was paved with bricks in 1907, it became the preferred route for funeral processions to Oakland Cemetery.

References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. 2010-11-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Marlys A. Svendsen. "PWA-Era County Courthouses of IA MPS". National Park Service. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
  3. "Bremer County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-02-09.
  4. Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 24. ISBN   0-87069-189-9.
  5. 1 2 Marlys A. Svendsen. "Bremer County Courthouse". National Park Service . Retrieved 2018-08-06. with photos

Commons-logo.svg Media related to Bremer County Courthouse at Wikimedia Commons