Franklin County Courthouse (Iowa)
Franklin County Courthouse | |
 Franklin County Courthouse in 1982 | |
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 Interactive map showing the location for Franklin County Courthouse | |
| Location | Central Ave. and 1st St., NW., Hampton, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 42°44′29″N 93°12′32″W / 42.74139°N 93.20889°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1891 |
| Architect | T.D. Allen |
| Architectural style | Romanesque |
| Part of | Hampton Double Square Historic District (ID03000834) |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR (AD) |
| NRHP reference No. | 76000772[1] |
| Added to NRHP | August 13, 1976 |
The Franklin County Courthouse in Hampton, Iowa, United States was built in 1891. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource.[1] In 2003 it was included as a contributing property in the Hampton Double Square Historic District.[2] The courthouse is the third facility to house court functions and county administration.
History
[edit]Initially, Franklin County business was enacted in the home of Judge James B. Reeve. County commissioners selected a place called Jefferson as the county seat in deference to Judge Reeve who was from Jefferson, Ohio. However, a county commissioner opposed the proposal, and with the backing of county residents, Hampton was designated as the county seat. In 1857, commissioners built a single-story frame building to serve as the initial courthouse. Subsequently, they sold it to a church, which converted it into a residence. Eventually, it was repurposed as a stable. County records were kept at a school until a new courthouse built of stone was constructed in the middle of the square. It measured 48 by 70 feet (15 m × 21 m) and cost $12,500.[3] The present Romanesque Revival building, by Minneapolis architect T.D. Allen, was completed in 1891 at a cost of $60,000.[4] The courthouse is a fine example of the Romanesque Revival style popular in the late 19th century. It was built during a transitional period of county government that saw movement from simple utilitarian structures to more elaborate structures that reflected the need for more space and bestowed a sense of dignity to its work.[5]
Architecture
[edit]The courthouse is a two-story brick structure built over a raised basement. It is roughly rectangular in shape, and measures 102 by 76 feet (31 m × 23 m).[5] The high foundation of the building and surround of the large round-arch main entrance is composed of rusticated stone. All of the windows feature stone ornamentation with rusticated stone surrounds on the first-floor windows. The building also features a machicolated cornice and clusters of circular chimneys. It is capped with a hipped roof and a tall domed clock tower. The tower itself has a four-faced clock and a statue of a classical figure at each corner of the bell chamber. A statue of Lady Justice is on top of the dome.
References
[edit]- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Molly Myers Naumann. "Hampton Double Square Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-09-13.
- ^ "Franklin County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-02-22.
- ^ Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 76. ISBN 0-87069-189-9.
- ^ a b James C. Fox. "Franklin County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2018-09-13. with photos
- Government buildings completed in 1891
- Romanesque Revival architecture in Iowa
- Hampton, Iowa
- Buildings and structures in Franklin 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 Franklin County, Iowa
- Individually listed contributing properties to historic districts on the National Register in Iowa
- 1891 establishments in Iowa