Jones County Courthouse (Iowa)

The first Jones County Courthouse was built in 1847 for $800.[2] The building measured 30 by 40 feet (9.1 by 12.2 m), and was occupied on January 3, 1848.[3] The county declared the building unsafe and vacated it in 1864. It was destroyed by fire in 1875. The county rented space until the city of Anamosa appropriated $6,000 to buy the second floor of the Shaw Block to insure the county seat would not move to Center Junction. A plan to build a courthouse in 1920 failed. There was, however, a lack of pride in the county facilities that were declining in condition that threatened the security of county records.[3][4]

The county board of supervisors applied to the Public Works Administration, or PWA, for a grant to build a new courthouse and a referendum was approved by 77 percent of voters on September 10, 1935.[5] Des Moines architects Dougher, Rich & Woodburn designed the new building. Excavation for the courthouse was begun once the PWA approved the grant. The cornerstone was laid on August 9, 1936. C.C. Larsen & Sons Co. of Council Bluffs won the contract to build the building. Completion was delayed because of contract delays and cost overruns. The building's final construction costs were $200,000.[5] County offices moved into the building in August and the dedication was held on September 10, 1937. Nearly 6,000 people attended the ceremonies.[5] Governor Nelson G. Kraschel delivered the main address. Other speakers included State PWA Director P.P. Hopkins and Justice J.M. Parsons of the Iowa Supreme Court, who was a Jones County native.

The architectural style of the building is known as Depression Modern or PWA Moderne. The building features a symmetrical façade with a central section that is flanked by two lower sections. The exterior is composed of buff-colored brick and Bedford limestone trim. It is three stories tall and built on a raised basement. On the interior, the central corridors extend the length of the building, with the county offices opening onto the corridors. The building features multi-colored terrazzo floors, marble wainscoting, and acoustic tiles. The courtroom was originally decorated in dark wood tones and Art Deco ornamentation.

The courthouse is located on a large rectangular plot of land overlooking the Anamosa State Penitentiary on the west side of town. The land had previously been a city park and is a contributing site on the courthouse's nomination to the National Register of Historic Places.[4] The original flagpole in front of the building is a contributing object. The two veterans monuments on the property, one from the 1970s or 1980s, and one from 2002 are non-contributing objects.