Clay County Courthouse (Iowa)

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Clay County Courthouse
Clay County IA Courthouse.jpg
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Location4th St. and 3rd Ave.
Spencer, Iowa
Coordinates 43°08′30.5″N95°8′53.6″W / 43.141806°N 95.148222°W / 43.141806; -95.148222 Coordinates: 43°08′30.5″N95°8′53.6″W / 43.141806°N 95.148222°W / 43.141806; -95.148222
Arealess than one acre
Built1901
Architectural style Classical Revival
MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR
NRHP reference # 81000229 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 2, 1981

The Clay County Courthouse, located in Spencer, Iowa, United States, was built in 1901. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. [1] The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Spencer, Iowa City in Iowa, United States

Spencer is a city in the state of Iowa, and the county seat of Clay County. It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan rivers. The population was 11,233 in the 2010 census, a decline from 11,317 in the 2000 census. Spencer has a notable Clay County Fair, held annually in September, which averages more than 300,000 visitors each year.

National Register of Historic Places Federal list of historic sites in the United States

The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance. A property listed in the National Register, or located within a National Register Historic District, may qualify for tax incentives derived from the total value of expenses incurred in preserving the property.

History

A commission chose Spencer Township as Clay County's first county seat. Voters chose Peterson instead and allocated $6,000 for a courthouse. When the contractor submitted a bill for $7,500 he received $6,900. [2] By 1871 the population in the northern part of the county was growing rapidly and the county seat moved to Spencer. A stock company was formed to build a new courthouse that was sold to the county for $1,333. County offices gradually outgrew the structure and they constructed a new two-story brick courthouse for $4,435. The old courthouse was used for a barn, a cement block factory, and then remodeled into two houses. County citizens eventually grew tired of their plain courthouse and plans were made to replace it. Construction of the present facility began in 1900 and it was completed a year later $60,000. [3] The red stone Neoclassical building features a cupola with a bronze covered dome and a clock. Its significance is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Spencer as the county seat. [4]

Clay County, Iowa U.S. county in Iowa

Clay County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 16,667. Its county seat is Spencer. Its name is in honor of Henry Clay, Jr., a colonel who died in action in the Mexican–American War, and son of Henry Clay, famous American statesman from Kentucky.

A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is used in Canada, China, Romania, Taiwan and the United States. County towns have a similar function in the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland, and historically in Jamaica.

Peterson, Iowa City in Iowa, United States

Peterson is a city in Clay County, Iowa, United States. The population was 334 in the 2010 census, a decline from 372 in the 2000 census.

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References

  1. 1 2 "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. 2009-03-13.
  2. ↑ Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 48. ISBN   0-87069-189-9.
  3. ↑ "Clay County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-02-26.
  4. ↑ M.H. Bowers. "Clay County Courthouse". National Park Service . Retrieved 2018-08-28. with photo
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