Humboldt County Courthouse – Dakota City IA

Description

“Plans for the current courthouse were approved in 1936. The Des Moines architectural firm of Dougher, Rich & Woodburn were retained to design the building. The county applied to the Public Works Administration, or PWA, to assist with the funding. The grant was approved in 1937. The contract to build the building was given to Holtze Construction Co. of Sioux City, Iowa. The cornerstone was laid on April 30, 1938, and the new building was dedicated on February 25, 1939. The courthouse was built for $185,000. Iowa Supreme Court Justice Richard Mitchell delivered the main address at an open house.

The architectural style of the building is known as Depression Modern or PWA Moderne.  The building features a symmetrical façade with a central section that is flanked by two lower sections. The exterior is composed of buff colored brick and Bedford limestone trim. It is three-stories tall and built on a raised basement. On the interior the central corridors extend the length of the building with the county offices opening onto the corridors. The building features multi-colored terrazzo floors, marble wainscoting and acoustic tiles. The court room was originally decorated in dark wood tones and Art Deco ornamentation.”

-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humboldt_County_Courthouse_%28Iowa%29