National Register of Historic Places

Grundy County Courthouse

Grundy Center, Grundy County, Iowa
Listed
July 1, 1981
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000239

About this property

The Grundy County Courthouse, located in Grundy Center, Iowa, United States, was built in 1891. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the second structure to house court functions and county administration. Grundy County was organized in 1856 from land that had been a part of Benton and Buchanan counties. Holland, Iowa was originally chosen as the county seat, but later Grundy Center was chosen as the county seat at that time. The first courthouse was built the following year. Known as the Old Cheese Box, it was the only octagonal courthouse in the state. The faces of its octagonal cupola paralleled one of the building's walls. This facility served as the county courthouse for 40 years until the current courthouse replaced it in 1891. The Richardsonian Romanesque structure was designed by Kramer & Zoll and constructed at a cost of $45,532.48. The contractor, Seeley, Son & Co., realized during construction that their bid was too low, but they kept to their commitment and did not cut corners. As a result, they went bankrupt. The slender form of the clock tower offsets the weighty mass of the rest of the building. The significance of the courthouse is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Grundy Center as the county seat.

Location

Grundy Center, Grundy County, Iowa
42.35855, -92.77191

Categories

ARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

Grundy Center High School
Industrial
0.1 mi
Neessen, Chris, House
Industrial
9.4 mi
Conant's Cabin and Park
Early Republic
13.9 mi
Wolf, Charles, House
Industrial
15 mi
Netcott-Pfeiffer House
Industrial
15.2 mi

Questions about this property

When was Grundy County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Grundy County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on July 1, 1981.

What type of historic resource is Grundy County Courthouse?

Grundy County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Grundy County Courthouse?

The period of significance for Grundy County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Grundy County Courthouse?

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