Clinton County Courthouse
Introduction
Text-to-speech Audio
The Clinton County Courthouse has operated as the seat of county government since its construction in 1897. The large building was built of red sandstone and granite, and is fine example of Richardsonian Romanesque architecture. It features corner towers with conical roofs, a hip roof with dormers, arched windows, and a large copper clock tower that has weathered to the color green. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1981.
Images
Clinton County Courthouse was built in 1897. It was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque style and features a large copper clock tower and round corner towers.
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Backstory and Context
Text-to-speech Audio
The Iowa Territory legislature established Clinton County on January 11, 1840 and in March the town of Camanche became the county seat. No courthouse was built there; county officials met in hotels and houses. In 1841, the county was moved to Vanderburg (which was later renamed DeWitt) and a wood-frame courthouse was built there. The building became too small and the county government functions relocated to a hotel. A second courthouse, a brick structure, was built in 1854.
By the 1860s, the population along the Mississippi River in Iowa increased significantly, especially in the town of Clinton. With that came increased political power and as a result, the town of Clinton became the county seat in 1869. A small 44x52 foot courthouse was built in only 23 days and the district court first convened on November 21st. In 1878, another building was erected next to the courthouse to provide additional space. The current and much larger courthouse was constructed in 1897.
Sources
"Clinton County Courthouse." Iowa Judicial Branch. Accessed October 18, 2021. https://www.iowacourts.gov/for-the-public/educational-resources-and-services/iowa-courts-history/iowa-county-courthouse-history/clinton-county-courthouse.
"Clinton County Courthouse." Iowa Site Inventory, Division of Historic Preservation, Iowa State Historical Department. January 1980. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/f324ec67-1acd-4ba2-9c1e-095bcf44f1b1.
"History of Clinton County." Clinton County, Iowa. Accessed October 18, 2021. https://www.clintoncounty-ia.gov/Page/History_of_Clinton_County.
Stephen Matthew Milligan, via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Clinton_County_Courthouse;_Clinton,_Iowa;_June_29,_2013_(2).JPG