The Wright County Courthouse in

Clarion, Iowa Clarion is a city in and the county seat of Wright County, Iowa, United States. The population was 2,810 at the time of the 2020 census. Clarion is the birthplace of the four-leaf clover emblem used by the 4-H Clubs of America, conceived of in 1 ...

, United States was built in 1892. It was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places 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 or "great artistic ...

in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse was the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

History

Wright County used a log cabin for its initial court sessions in 1855. A two-story frame building was the first proper courthouse the county used when the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

was moved to Liberty. The county seat moved to Clarion in 1866 and another courthouse was constructed there. That building became a part of the Avondale Hotel after the present courthouse was built in 1892. The present courthouse is a three-story building that was completed for $50,000 in 1892. It was designed by W.R. Parsons & Son, and built by E.D. Jones & Company. The building was extensively renovated in 1974.

Architecture

The building exhibits several features that are unique among courthouses in Iowa. The Wright County Courthouse has a large polygonal projection at the rear of the building. Its front entrance is recessed within a single-story projecting pavilion, which features a stone roof, balustrade and a semicircular bay on one side. There are similar semicircular bays that flank the site entrance. The courthouse also has a clock tower that rises above the building's multi-

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

d roof. The significance of the courthouse is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Clarion as the county seat.

References

{{NRHP in Wright County, Iowa Government buildings completed in 1892 Vernacular architecture in Iowa Buildings and structures in Wright County, Iowa Courthouses on the National Register of Historic Places in Iowa County courthouses in Iowa Clock towers in Iowa National Register of Historic Places in Wright County, Iowa