Old Worth County Courthouse | |
![]() The building from the west in 2018 | |
Location | 921 Central Ave. Northwood, Iowa |
---|---|
Coordinates | 43°26′38″N93°13′7″W / 43.44389°N 93.21861°W Coordinates: 43°26′38″N93°13′7″W / 43.44389°N 93.21861°W |
Area | less than one acre |
Built | 1880 |
Built by | Simon Larsen |
Architectural style | Italianate |
MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR |
NRHP reference # | 81000276 [1] |
Added to NRHP | July 2, 1981 |
The Old Worth County Courthouse in Northwood, 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. [1] The courthouse was the first building the county used for court functions and county administration. The building functions as the main museum for the Worth County Historical Society.
Northwood is a city in Worth County, Iowa, United States, along the Shell Rock River. The population was 1,989 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Worth County.
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.
In 1879 an attempt was made by Kensett, Iowa to have the county seat of Worth County moved to their town. [2] To ensure that the county seat stayed in Northwood the town raised the money for the courthouse and donated the land for the building. A brick Italianate style building was built by Simon Larsen in 1880 for $4,400 [2] [3] It was replaced in 1893 by the present courthouse. [4]
Kensett is a city in Worth County, Iowa, United States. The population was 266 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Mason City Micropolitan Statistical Area.
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.
Worth County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 7,598. The county seat is Northwood. The county was founded in 1851 and named for Major General William Jenkins Worth (1794–1849), an officer in both the Seminole War and the Mexican–American War.
After its use as a courthouse, the building served as a high school for twenty years. After that, it was used as a public library on the main floor and as a youth center on the second floor. On July 4, 1973, the Worth County Historical Society opened a museum in the building. [5]
The former courthouse in two-stories in height, and capped with a hipped roof. It features round arch windows with brick hoods and a keystone. The entrance vestibule in the front was added in the 1920s. The significance of the courthouse is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Northwood as the county seat. [3] It is also one of the few courthouses in Iowa that was built in the Italianate style, and one of the few former county courthouses that remain standing.
A hip roof, hip-roof or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus a hipped roof house has no gables or other vertical sides to the roof.
A keystone is the wedge-shaped stone piece at the apex of a masonry arch, or the generally round one at the apex of a vault. In both cases it is the final piece placed during construction and locks all the stones into position, allowing the arch or vault to bear weight. In both arches and vaults, keystones are often enlarged beyond the structural requirements, and often decorated in some way. Keystones are often placed in the centre of the flat top of openings such as doors and windows, essentially for decorative effect.
Iowa is a state in the Midwestern United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states; Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to the east, Missouri to the south, Nebraska to the west, South Dakota to the northwest, and Minnesota to the north.
Worth County Courthouse in Northwood, Iowa was built in 1893 in a Romanesque style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1981. The building is the second courthouse for the county and it was completed in 1893. It was constructed in brick and features a small tower. The building was enlarged and remodeled in 1938.
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.
The Chickasaw County Courthouse is a historic governmental building located at 8 East Prospect Street in New Hampton, Iowa, United States. On July 2, 1981, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places. The courthouse is the fourth structure to house court functions and county administration.
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.
The Lee County Courthouse, also known as the South Lee County Courthouse and the U.S. Post Office and Courthouse, is a historic building located in Keokuk, Iowa, United States.
The Polk County Courthouse located in Des Moines, Iowa, United States, was built in 1906. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979 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 Muscatine County Courthouse in Muscatine, Iowa, United States, was built in 1909. 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.
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 and two other buildings, 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 Poweshiek County Courthouse in Montezuma, Iowa, United States, was built in 1859. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 2012 it was listed as a contributing property in the Montezuma Downtown Historic District. The courthouse is the second building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
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.
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.
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.
The Page County Courthouse in Clarinda, Iowa, United States, was built in 1887. 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 fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
The Benton County Courthouse, located in Vinton, Iowa, United States, was built in 1906. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
The Sac County Courthouse in Sac City, Iowa, United States, was built in 1889. 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.
The Delaware County Courthouse, located in Manchester, Iowa, United States, was built in 1894. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The current structure is the fourth building to house court functions and county administration.
The Ida County Courthouse, located in Ida Grove, Iowa, United States, was built in 1883. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1974 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.
The Monona County Courthouse, located in Onawa, Iowa, United States, was built in 1892. 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.
The Pocahontas County Courthouse located in Pocahontas, Iowa, United States, was built in 1923. 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.
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.