National Register of Historic Places

Worth County Courthouse

Northwood, Worth County, Iowa
Listed
July 1, 1981
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
81000705

About this property

Worth County Courthouse in Northwood, Iowa was built in 1893 in a Romanesque style. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) in 1981. The building is the second courthouse for the county and it was completed in 1893. It was constructed in brick and features a small tower. The building was enlarged and remodeled in 1938. The first courthouse was built in 1879 with a contributed total of $5,075 with construction finishing in 1880. Before the courthouse was finished, it was agreed that the land upon which the courthouse was built could be subdivided among the people who participated in the erection of the courthouse if the land went back to the original owners and that the only way that the courthouse can be moved is if there is a written majority consensus from the contributors to move it. The first courthouse was made out of bricks and was considered plain and only $4,400 of the contributed sum was used to build it. Built following an election which resulted in Northwood remaining the county seat and completed in 1893, the current courthouse is made out of brick and has a base made out of limestone. It includes a small tower with no clock, however, it once included a taller roof and sharply-pointed gablets. Out of the donated $5,000 only $4,594 was used to build the courthouse. The first tower was replaced and the entire courthouse renovated in 1938. A Civil War cannon is on the grounds of the courthouse that was erected by the Worth County Sesquicentennial Commission in 1996. The carriage of the cannon was manufactured at the Northwood Foundry while the rest of the cannon was manufactured at the Fort Pitt Foundry. The cannon is an 1861 columbiad. The cannon used to be located on the north bank of Shell Rock River. An expansion of the courthouse in 1990 included new offices, a new jail, and a conference room. The significance of the courthouse is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Northwood as the county seat. Old Worth County Courthouse (Northwood, Iowa), also NRHP-listed and in Northwood

Location

Northwood, Worth County, Iowa
43.44450, -93.21770

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

Old Worth County Courthouse
Industrial
0.1 mi
Northwood Central Avenue Historic District
Modern
0.3 mi
First Methodist Episcopal Church
Industrial
6.4 mi
Severson, Nels, Barn
Industrial
10.5 mi
Chicago, Milwaukee, and St. Paul Railroad-Grafton Station
Industrial
11 mi

Questions about this property

When was Worth County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

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

What type of historic resource is Worth County Courthouse?

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

What is the period of significance for Worth County Courthouse?

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

Can I research the history near Worth County Courthouse?

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