Union County Courthouse (Iowa) Explained

Union County Courthouse
Building Type:Courthouse
Architectural Style:Modern
Address:300 N Pine St.
Location Town:Creston, Iowa
Location Country:United States
Coordinates:41.06°N -94.3619°W
Completion Date:1952
Floor Count:Two
Main Contractor:O.D. Mulligan Construction Company
Architecture Firm:Thomas W. Williamson and Victor Loebsack and Associates

The Union County Courthouse is located in Creston, Iowa, United States. It is the fourth building used as a court house in Union County.

History

Court functions were initially held in rented rooms in private residences in Afton. The first courthouse was a frame structure built in 1857. The building was also used as a school and a church. The Baptist congregation paid a quarter of the costs to purchase the bell.[1] Stone for the second courthouse, completed in 1872, was quarried along the Grand River. The third courthouse, completed in 1890, was built in Creston by the citizens of that town as an inducement to have the county seat moved there.

The present courthouse replaced it in 1952. A $300,000 bond issue passed in 1946, and the Modernist structure was completed in 1952.[2] It was designed by Thomas W. Williamson and Victor Loebsack and Associates, and built by O.D. Mulligan Construction Company. It is a three-story concrete and glass structure. The main facade features a central pavilion that projects from the main building and is faced with dark red colored stone. Two concrete pillars divide the recessed windows and doorway. The roof is flat

Notes and References

  1. Book: Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline. Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. 1976. Wallace-Homestead. Des Moines. 182. 0-87069-189-9.
  2. Web site: Union County Courthouse. Iowa Judicial Branch. 2015-12-14.