Dubuque County Courthouse
Dubuque County Courthouse | ||
MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR (AD) | | |
NRHP reference No. | 71000298 [1] | |
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Added to NRHP | June 23, 1971 |
The Dubuque County Courthouse is located on Central Avenue, between 7th and 8th Streets, in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. The current structure was built from 1891 to 1893 to replace an earlier building. These are believed to be the only two structures to house the county courts and administrative offices.[2]
The courthouse houses several county government offices including the county auditor, treasurer, attorney, and facilities for the Iowa District Court for Dubuque County.
History
Information about the first courthouse in Dubuque is sparse.[2] The first known attempt at a courthouse were the plans for a two-story log structure in 1836, but it was never built. By 1843 it was decided that the increased private business in Dubuque necessitated an increase in public business.[3] Therefore, the county built a red brick building to house its records and offices. It is possible that this building was already under construction as there are records of expenditures for brick, lumber, lime, ironwork, and architectural fees dating back to 1839. An addition was built onto the front of this building in 1856. By 1869 there was talk of building a new courthouse as the county had outgrown this building and it was considered outdated and ill-shaped. Even after a petition for a new courthouse was presented in 1878, there was no serious movement toward construction until 1890.
The
The Dubuque County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971.[1] Its significance is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Dubuque as the county seat.[5] The adjacent Dubuque County Jail is a National Historic Landmark.[6]
Architecture
Heer designed the structure in the
Renovations
Renovations were done to the building over the years, especially in the 1980s. Changes include the installation of a glass elevator, a granite fountain was placed on the ground floor, and the entrances into the building were moved to the ground level from the second floor. Gold leaf was applied to the tower dome. Given the various weather conditions, it did not hold and it had to be repaired. The county reevaluated security at the courthouse following the murders of a judge in Georgia and a judge's family in Illinois. All entrances, but one, were closed and visitors and their possessions were screened.[7]
See also
- List of Iowa county courthouses
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
- ^ a b c "Dubuque County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2015-07-24.
- ISBN 0-87069-189-9.
- ^ "Obituaries — October 2910 to October 1911: Herr, Fridolin J." American Art Annual. 9. MacMillan Company: 313. 1911.
- ^ a b Mrs. Kenneth E. Mercer. "Dubuque County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-09-01. with photos
- ^ "Dubuque County Jail". National Historic Landmark summary listing. National Park Service. Archived from the original on 2004-06-18. Retrieved 2007-10-03.
- ^ a b "Dubuque County Court House". Dubuque County. Archived from the original on 2015-07-25. Retrieved 2015-07-24.