Ida County Courthouse - Ida Grove, IA - U.S. National Register of Historic Places on Waymarking.com

"The Ida County Courthouse is an imposing part-Gothic, part-Italianate. two story brick building. Set among a picturesque arrangement of full-grown trees atop a hill, the Courthouse still dominates the town of Ida Grove and the whole river valley surrounding it as well.
The plan of the Courthouse is irregular due to the use of pavilions. and a large square tower. The tower as well as the rest of the hip roofed structure is adorned with decorative wood roof brackets and dentilation. The roof of the tower, however, is high pitched as with Gothic structures of an earlier time. Roof cresting atop the central portion of the hip roof is now missing. Otherwise, the
Courthouse remains in its original condition. Tall slender windows,
regularly spaced, are topped with simple but ornamental stone headings. Other horizontal stone elements appear in the windowsills and at story levels.
On the interior, county offices flank the central hallway on the first floor. Jail cells (now used for storage) are found at the basement level and a courtroom on the second floor. Many of original furnishings remain.
The Ida County Courthouse property occupies an entire city block.
The architectural significance of the Ida County Courthouse is perhaps its most readily apparent feature. The landscaping of the courthouse square is quite natural and refreshing, even unique in this crowded age. It is really more like a park than a formal courtyard.
The courthouse figures also in the politics of the region not only through the conduct of elections and daily government business, but in the county caucuses as well. Senator Harold Hughes started here as did Ed Campbell, a Republican member of the national legislature in an earlier era.
If sentiment is to be considered, then that too must be entered here. We are a young territory, some of the last and most rapidly settled land in the nation. A few others came earlier, but the farmers who broke this land came with the railroad in the 1870's and 1880's: some of their great grandchildren are still on that same land.
The first building they built when the town was established was a courthouse,
and even as early as 188d they had the foresight to build their new courthouse (the first one burned) large enough and sound enough to serve for at least ninety years. * Local citizens take some measure of pride in knowing that as they go about their business in the Courthouse, that they share this heritage with their families before them. The records of five and six generations are found in this site.
Knauth, Otto, Des Moines Register, Fall, 1973."
Source: United States Department of the Interior National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Iventory - Nomination Form.
Atlas of Ida County, Iowa, The Iowa Publishing Co., Davenport, 1906

Street address: 401 Moorehead St Ida Grove, IA USA 51445 County / Borough / Parish: Ida Year listed: 1974 Historic (Areas of) Significance: Politics/Government, Architecture Periods of significance: 1875-1899 Historic function: Government Current function: Government Privately owned?: no Hours of operation: From: 8:00 AM To: 4:30 AM Primary Web Site: [Web Link] Secondary Website 1: [Web Link] Season start / Season finish: Not listed Secondary Website 2: Not listed National Historic Landmark Link: Not listed

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