Sioux County Courthouse (Iowa)
Sioux County Courthouse | |
  | |
| Location | Off Iowa Highway 10, Orange City, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Built | 1902-1904 |
| Architect | Beach, Wilfred W. |
| Architectural style | Romanesque Revival, Richardsonian Romanesque |
| MPS | County Courthouses in Iowa TR (AD) |
| NRHP reference No. | 77000559[1] |
| Added to NRHP | April 11, 1977 |
The Sioux County Courthouse is a Richardsonian Romanesque courthouse in Orange City, Iowa, the county seat of Sioux County, Iowa. Designed by Wilfred Warren (W.W.) Beach, it was built from 1902 to 1904.
Sioux County was organized on January 20, 1860, on land occupied by the indigenous Sioux until they were forced to abandon it under the terms of the fourth Treaty of Prairie du Chien in 1830.[2] The original courthouse was a log structure in Calliope, Iowa. That building was sold off when the county seat was moved to Orange City after a referendum in 1872, and Sioux County had no central county offices until this courthouse was built. Construction began in June 1902, but the construction company went bankrupt, delaying completion until October 1904.
Beach's design is classic, muscular Richardsonian Romanesque, an architectural style developed by Henry Hobson Richardson. Although of high quality, its timing is unusual, since that style was associated with the late 1880s rather than the early 20th Century. A deep rusticated arch forms the principal entrance at the base of the central tower, which is six stories tall. Doors and windows appear to be cut deeply into the dark red sandstone, and the effect is heightened by the light buff sandstone trim.[3]
Lightning destroyed the top of the tower in 1907, and it was replaced with a hip roof and a 10-foot tall cast bronze statue personifying Justice (Vrouwe Justitia).
The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ Schwieder, Dorothy (1996). Iowa: The Middle Land. Ames, Iowa: Iowa State University Press. pp. 7–20. ISBN 9780813823065.
- ^ Gebhard, David; Mansheim, Gerald (1993). Buildings of Iowa. New York: Oxford University Press. p. 490. ISBN 9780195061482.
| Topics | |
|---|---|
| Lists by state |
|
| Lists by insular areas | |
| Lists by associated state | |
| Other areas | |
| Related | |
 | This article about a property in Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |