Jasper County Courthouse - Newton, Iowa - American Guide Series on Waymarking.com

The Jasper County Courthouse, Courthouse Sq., a massive three-story building, its solidity accentuated by horizontal mass lines of Bedford stone spaced with brick, was erected in 1909-11. The building is of neo-classic design with modified Georgian Colonial detail. It is topped by a tall graceful clock tower, rising above the low dome. On the walls of the interior are four murals, executed by Edgar Cameron of Chicago and depicting incidents in the history of the county.

Date of Construction: 1909-1911
Architect/Builder: Proudfoot & Bird, Des Moines, Architect.

A well-preserved courthouse in Beaux Arts tradition, though relatively simple. Clock tower adds interest. As in the case of many courthouses from this period, interior main spaces are important features. This one features rotunda with small pattern tile floors, set off from adjacent hallways by freestanding column screens, or "screens" established through the use of engaged columns. The typana of the arches within the rotunda are painted with topical murals (log cabin, a buffalo head, and parade).

This courthouse, made of Indiana limestone, was dedicated on April 6, 1911. It is approximately 121 feet long and 80 feet wide, with a 140-foot high tower. The total cost of this courthouse, including furniture, was slightly over $200,000. At the time of construction, one of the most modern features was the inside ladies' restroom which was accessible from the street. The clock in the tower was fitted with an automatic attachment so that it would wind itself every day and light up at night. The clock was provided through the private donations of Jasper County citizens in the amount of $1200. At the 1911 dedication of this fine building were 120 people who were present also at the dedication of the prior courthouse.

The Jasper County Courthouse is located in Newton, Iowa, United States, and was built from 1909 to 1911. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981. In 2014 it was included as a contributing property in the Newton Downtown Historic District.

Court was first held in Jasper County in 1846 in a one-room addition to the log cabin of Matthew D. Springer. The first courthouse was built of lumber in 1847; it was 30 by 18 feet (9.1 by 5.5 m) and cost a total of $87.50. That courthouse was later moved to a farm near Newton. A second courthouse was a brick structure that was faced with limestone and built in 1857 at a total cost of $26,600. Its basement was sandstone. The 62 by 50 feet (19 by 15 m) building featured porticos that extended 12 feet (3.7 m) from the building that were held up by Ionic columns. A cupola that rose 83 feet (25 m) above the ground.

The third and current courthouse was dedicated in 1911. The simplified version of the Beaux Arts style was designed by the prominent Des Moines architectural firm of Proudfoot & Bird. It is built of Indiana limestone except for the doors and window casings which are wooden. American general and Iowa politician James B. Weaver wrote of the current courthouse in the 1912 county history, "long after the pages of this county history are worn and turned yellow with age, in all human probability this building will stand in all its massive beauty". The Jasper County Medical Society held their annual meetings at the courthouse.

The courthouse measures 121 by 80 feet (37 by 24 m) with a clock tower that rises 140 feet (43 m). The clock was created with the help of private donations, and its faces are set into the parapets around the tower. The interior has ceramic tile and marble, and freestanding column screens divide the hallways from the rotunda. The outside of the building is decorated during the Christmas season. There was a renovation of the courthouse in 1986 that fixed the interior and involved the dome and paintings. Then-governor of Iowa Terry Branstad visited the courthouse for its 100th anniversary on July 4, 2011. The significance of the courthouse is derived from its association with county government, and the political power and prestige of Newton as the county seat.