Old Allamakee County Courthouse (Waukon, Iowa)

Allamakee County Courthouse
Location 107 Allamakee St.
Waukon, Iowa
Coordinates 43°16′15″N 91°28′31″W / 43.27083°N 91.47528°W / 43.27083; -91.47528Coordinates: 43°16′15″N 91°28′31″W / 43.27083°N 91.47528°W / 43.27083; -91.47528
Built 1861
Architectural style Greek Revival
MPS County Courthouses in Iowa TR
NRHP Reference # 77000492 [1]
Added to NRHP April 11, 1977

The Allamakee County Courthouse (also referred to as Old Allamakee County Courthouse) is the county’s historic courthouse located in Waukon, Iowa. It was built in 1861 and was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource.[1] The Greek Revival style building was the first courthouse that was used for court functions and county administration. The building now serves as the Allamakee County Historical Museum.

History

There was a long and bitter fight between the towns of Waukon and Lansing as to which one would be the county seat in Allamakee County.[2] The Iowa legislature chose Jefferson Township as the county seat. An election in 1851 rejected the choice as well as others and Columbus became the county seat. Two years later the legislature approved a petition to move the county seat closer to the center of the county and Waukon received two-thirds of the vote. In 1859 Lansing offered to build an $8,000 courthouse and Waukon countered with its own offer and won by 420 votes.[3] The courthouse in Waukon was completed for $13,635 in 1861.[2] That same year both Columbus and Lansing joined together to fight for the courthouse. This time they beat Waukon by 22 votes in an election that was held in 1862. Another election was held in 1864 with similar results. The county sheriff, who lived in Waukon, along with a posse removed the county records from Lansing. He was intercepted by horsemen from Lansing and forced to return the records. In 1867 the Iowa Supreme Court ruled that Waukon was the county seat. The building constructed in 1861 served as the county courthouse until 1940 when the present courthouse was built.

See also

References

  1. 1 2 National Park Service (2009-03-13). "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service.
  2. 1 2 "Allamakee County Courthouse". Iowa Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2011-02-10.
  3. ↑ Stanek, Edward and Jacqueline (1976). Iowa's Magnificent County Courthouses. Des Moines: Wallace-Homestead. p. 12. ISBN 0-87069-189-9.
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