Old Worth County Courthouse (Northwood, Iowa)

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Old Worth County Courthouse
WorthCountyIowaMuseum.jpg
The building from the west in 2018
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Location921 Central Ave.
Northwood, Iowa
Coordinates 43°26′38″N93°13′7″W / 43.44389°N 93.21861°W / 43.44389; -93.21861 Coordinates: 43°26′38″N93°13′7″W / 43.44389°N 93.21861°W / 43.44389; -93.21861
Arealess than one acre
Built1880
Built bySimon Larsen
Architectural style Italianate
MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR
NRHP reference # 81000276 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 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, Iowa City in Iowa, United States

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.

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.

Contents

History

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, Iowa City in Iowa, United States

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, Iowa County in the United States

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]

Architecture

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.

Hip roof type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls

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.

Keystone (architecture) top stone of an arch

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 State of the United States of America

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.

See also

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References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "Worth County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
  3. 1 2 M.H. Bowers. "Old Worth County Courthouse". National Park Service . Retrieved 2018-12-03. photo
  4. ↑ Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 202. ISBN   0-87069-189-9.
  5. ↑ "Main Museum". Worth County Historical Society. Retrieved 2011-02-24.
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