Delaware County Courthouse

301 E Main St., Manchester, Iowa

Designed by C.E. Bell

Photos

Overview Looking Southeast

Photo taken by J.R. Manning

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Map

Coordinates:
+42.48385, -91.45501
42°29'02" N, 91°27'18" W

Quadrangle map:
Manchester

Description

The first courthouse in Delaware County was a log structure in Delhi. The two-story structure measured 18 by 24 feet and had no roof. Jurors were required to climb a ladder to the jury room on the second floor. A second courthouse was built in 1850 and because there were no contractors available to build the building it was constructed by citizens who used their own tools. The present courthouse was built when the county seat moved to Manchester, and it was completed in 1894 for $38,000. The clock in the tower was paid for with contributions from 700 county citizens.

C.E. Bell designed the Romanesque Revival building, which is constructed of red pressed brick. The main body of the building measures 76 by 100 feet. The tower and spire are 135 feet (41 m) high, and the walls of the building are 18 inches (45.7 cm) thick. The decorative metal ceilings on the first floor and the elaborate woodwork are original to the building.

National Register information

Status: Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on July 2, 1981
Reference number: 81000234
Architectural styles: Victorian: Renaissance; Other architectural type; Victorian: Romanesque; Chateauesque
Area of significance: Architecture
Level of significance: Local
Evaluation criteria: C - Design/Construction
Property type: Building
Historic function: Courthouse
Current function: Courthouse
Period of significance: 1875-1899
Significant year: 1894

Update Log

June 9, 2013: Updated by Dave King: Added description and corrected GPS coordinates
December 18, 2010: New photo from J.R. Manning

Sources

J.R. Manning - Lugnuts969 [at] gmail [dot] com
Dave King
Wikipedia
National Register database - Reference number 81000234