Polk County Courthouse (Iowa)

Polk County Courthouse
Front of the courthouse
Location 6th and Mulberry Sts.
Des Moines, Iowa
Coordinates 41°35′5″N 93°37′23″W / 41.58472°N 93.62306°W / 41.58472; -93.62306Coordinates: 41°35′5″N 93°37′23″W / 41.58472°N 93.62306°W / 41.58472; -93.62306
Area approximately 2 acres (0.81 ha)
Built 1906
Architect Proudfoot & Bird
Architectural style Beaux-Arts
MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR
NRHP reference # 79000925[1]
Added to NRHP April 30, 1979

The Polk County Courthouse 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.[1] The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

History

Polk County built its first courthouse in 1847 for $2,015.[2] The brick building measured 26 by 52 feet (7.9 by 15.8 m).[2] After the second courthouse was completed, this first building was sold to a church for $800.[3] The second courthouse was built in 1858 for $94,000.[2] The two-story Italianate structure, designed by J.C. Farrand, featured a dome. This building was later enlarged.

The present courthouse was built in 1906 on the same square as the previous courthouse. It was built for $750,000 in the Beaux-Arts style.[2] The 242 by 132 feet (74 by 40 m) structure was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot & Bird.[4] The four-story structure includes a tall three-stage clock tower. The original columns, stairways, and walls were constructed in marble. Murals on the fourth floor were painted by Charles A. Cummings and Edward Simmons.[2] It is one of the largest county courthouses in the state, and one of the most architecturally significant.[4]

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 3 4 5 "Polk County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 14 February 2011.
  3. ↑ Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 160. ISBN 0-87069-189-9.
  4. 1 2 S.J. Klingensmith. "Polk County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 28 September 2017. with photos
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