The Decatur County Courthouse, located in

Leon, Iowa Leon is a city in Decatur County, Iowa, United States. The population was 1,822 at the time of the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Decatur County. The city is located near the Little River Lake Recreation Area. Leon is home to a major rod ...

, United States, was built in 1908. 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 v ...

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.

History

The first courthouse in

Decatur County Decatur County is the name of various past and present counties in the United States, all named for Stephen Decatur: *Decatur County, Georgia *Decatur County, Indiana *Decatur County, Iowa *Decatur County, Kansas *Decatur County, Tennessee *Decatu ...

was a log structure built in Leon in for $375. The county soon outgrew the building and it became a hotel. It was replaced by a small structure that was declared unusable soon after it was built. The next courthouse was destroyed in a windstorm before it was finished, and a fire destroyed the fourth courthouse along with the county records. The fifth courthouse was a brick structure that was built for $20,000. In 1876, thieves attempted to open the county treasurer's safe and when they set off explosives they blew up that side of the building, but were unable to crack the safe. The building was rebuilt and served as the county courthouse until the present building replaced it in 1908. The present courthouse is a two-story structure built over a raised basement. The main floors are clad in brick and the foundation is stone. The

Des Moines Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

architectural firm of Smith, Wetherell and Gage designed the

Renaissance Revival Renaissance Revival architecture (sometimes referred to as "Neo-Renaissance") is a group of 19th century architectural revival styles which were neither Greek Revival nor Gothic Revival but which instead drew inspiration from a wide range o ...

building. The central clock tower is its prominent feature. with The modified

Gibbs surround A Gibbs surround or Gibbs Surround is a type of architectural frame surrounding a door, window or niche in the tradition of classical architecture otherwise known as a rusticated doorway or window. The formula is not fixed, but several of the ...

s around the second and third floor windows is another defining feature. Iron, stone, steel, tile, brick, marble, and granite were all used in its construction so as to protect it from fire, wind, and any other malady. The courthouse's significance is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Leon as 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 ...

References

External links

{{NRHP in Decatur County, Iowa Government buildings completed in 1908 Renaissance Revival architecture in Iowa Buildings and structures in Decatur 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 Decatur County, Iowa 1908 establishments in Iowa