Ringgold County Courthouse

Last updated
Ringgold County Courthouse
Ringgold County IA Courthouse.jpg
USA Iowa location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
LocationMadison St.
Mount Ayr, Iowa
Coordinates 40°42′46″N94°14′26″W / 40.71278°N 94.24056°W / 40.71278; -94.24056 Coordinates: 40°42′46″N94°14′26″W / 40.71278°N 94.24056°W / 40.71278; -94.24056
Arealess than one acre
Built1926-1927
Built byL.T. Grisman Company
ArchitectKeffer & Jones
Architectural style Classical Revival
MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR
NRHP reference # 81000267 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 2, 1981

The Ringgold County Courthouse in Mount Ayr, Iowa, United States, was built in 1927. 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.

Mount Ayr, Iowa City in Iowa, United States

Mount Ayr is a city in Ringgold County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,691 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Ringgold County. Mount Ayr is a rural community in Southwestern Iowa, 22 miles west of Interstate 35 on State Highway 2. Mount Ayr was founded in 1875 and the community was named in honor of poet Robert Burns’ birthplace in Ayr, Scotland. The “mount” was added to indicate its location on the highest point of land in the area.

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 preserving the property.

Contents

History

The first Ringgold County courthouse was a log structure constructed in 1856. It was destroyed in a tornado two years later, and the logs were salvaged for use in a new house. A frame building was constructed for the second courthouse and the county paid $3,500 to have it built. [2] It was two stories and measured 60 by 20 feet (18.3 by 6.1 m). [3] The third courthouse was under construction when it was destroyed in a fire on Thanksgiving Day 1889. The new courthouse was a brick and stone building that was built for $36,455. The 2½-story structure measured 96 by 77 feet (29 by 23 m) and had a central tower that rose 102 feet (31 m). [3] That building was condemned in 1921. It was given, along with $500 to a house wrecker to be torn down. Voters approved a new courthouse in 1926. The three-story brick building measures 91 by 86 feet (28 by 26 m) and was built at a cost of $132,533. [2] It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Keffer & Jones and built by the L.T. Grisman Company.

Ringgold County, Iowa county in Iowa, United States

Ringgold County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. As of the 2010 census, the population was 5,131, making it the Iowa county with the second-smallest population. The county seat is Mount Ayr. The county is named after Maj. Samuel Ringgold, a hero of the Battle of Palo Alto fought in May 1846, during the Mexican–American War. It is one of the 26 Iowa counties with a name that is unique across the nation.

Tornado violently rotating column of air that is in contact with both the earths surface and a cumulonimbus cloud in the air

A tornado is a rapidly rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. The windstorm is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology to name a weather system with a low-pressure area in the center around which winds blow counterclockwise in the Northern Hemisphere and clockwise in the Southern. Tornadoes come in many shapes and sizes, and they are often visible in the form of a condensation funnel originating from the base of a cumulonimbus cloud, with a cloud of rotating debris and dust beneath it. Most tornadoes have wind speeds less than 110 miles per hour (180 km/h), are about 250 feet (80 m) across, and travel a few miles before dissipating. The most extreme tornadoes can attain wind speeds of more than 300 miles per hour (480 km/h), are more than two miles (3 km) in diameter, and stay on the ground for dozens of miles.

Architecture

The courthouse is considered a "budget classical" building by which the structure's Beaux-Arts and Neoclassical design elements are stripped to a minimal form. [4] The building becomes more utilitarian than imaginatively expressed. The three-story building is composed of red brick and concrete. Stone trim runs horizontally between the first and second floors and above the third floor where there is also a projecting stone cornice. The building is capped with a flat roof. The significance of the courthouse is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Mount Ayr as the county seat. [4]

Beaux-Arts architecture expresses the academic neoclassical architectural style

Beaux-Artsarchitecture was the academic architectural style taught at the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorporated Gothic and Renaissance elements, and used modern materials, such as iron and glass. It was an important style in France until the end of the 19th century. It also had a strong influence on architecture in the United States, because of the many prominent American architects who studied at the Beaux-Arts, including Henry Hobson Richardson, John Galen Howard, Daniel Burnham, and Louis Sullivan.

Neoclassical architecture is an architectural style produced by the neoclassical movement that began in the mid-18th century. In its purest form, it is a style principally derived from the architecture of classical antiquity, the Vitruvian principles, and the work of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio.

Cornice horizontal decorative molding that crowns a building or furniture

A cornice is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns a building or furniture element – the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the top edge of a pedestal or along the top of an interior wall. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown.

See also

Ringgold County Jail

The Ringgold County Jail is a historic building located in Mount Ayr, Iowa, United States. It was the second building that housed the county jail from its completion in 1895 until the present Ringgold County Courthouse and jail was built in 1927. The building was sold to the American Legion who used it for its local post until 1978. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Subsequently, the building has housed commercial establishments.

Related Research Articles

Webster County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Webster County Courthouse is a historic building in Fort Dodge, Iowa, United States. Built in 1902, it primarily houses local government offices for Webster County. The courthouse is the second building the county has used for court functions and county administration. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981, and as a contributing property in the Fort Dodge Downtown Historic District in 2010.

Marshall County Courthouse (Iowa)

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.

Madison County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Madison County Courthouse is located in Winterset, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. It was included as a contributing property in the Winterset Courthouse Square Commercial Historic District in 2015. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Des Moines County Court House historic courthouse in Burlington, Iowa, USA

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.

Warren County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Warren County Courthouse in Indianola, Iowa, United States, was built in 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 third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Polk County Courthouse (Iowa)

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.

Louisa County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Louisa County Courthouse in Wapello, Iowa, United States, was built in 1928. 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.

Poweshiek County Courthouse

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.

Mahaska County Courthouse

The Mahaska County Courthouse located in Oskaloosa, Iowa, United States, was built in 1886. 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 1986 it was included as a contributing property in the Oskaloosa City Square Commercial Historic District. The courthouse is the second building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Wapello County Courthouse

The Wapello County Courthouse in Ottumwa, 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 courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration. It is part of the Central Park area, which includes: Ottumwa Public Library, Ottumwa City Hall, and St. Mary of the Visitation Catholic Church.

Franklin County Courthouse (Iowa)

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.

Dallas County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Dallas County Courthouse in Adel, Iowa, United States was built in 1902. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1973, and is a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. In 2009 it was included as a contributing property in the Adel Public Square Historic District. The current structure is the fourth building to house court functions and county administration.

Benton County Courthouse (Iowa) courthouse in Vinton, Benton County, Iowa

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.

Boone County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Boone County Courthouse, located in Boone, Iowa, United States, was built in 1917. 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.

Sac County Courthouse

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.

Clayton County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Clayton County Courthouse, located in Elkader, Iowa, United States, was built in 1878. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource.

Decatur County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Decatur County Courthouse, located in Leon, Iowa, United States, was built in 1908. 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 sixth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

Delaware County Courthouse (Iowa) A courthouse in Delaware County, Iowa

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.

Harrison County Courthouse (Iowa)

The Harrison County Courthouse, located in Logan, Iowa, United States, was built in 1911. 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 fifth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

OBrien County Courthouse

The O'Brien County Courthouse is located in Primghar, Iowa, United States. 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.

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 "Ringgold County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-03-02.
  3. 1 2 Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 166. ISBN   0-87069-189-9.
  4. 1 2 M.H. Bowers. "Ringgold County Courthouse". National Park Service . Retrieved 2015-12-30. with photo from 1979
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.