Greene County Courthouse

The Greene County Courthouse was built in 1917 and is a fine example of Beaux-Arts architecture, which was the chosen style for several Iowa courthouses in the early 20th century. Notable features of the courthouse include the limestone exterior and a pair of identical porticos with Ionic columns and pediments. Each pediment contains a clock, bas-relief figures, and swags (decorative linen motifs). The courthouse grounds includes the Mahanay Memorial Carillon Tower, a statue of Abraham Lincoln, and the Lindsey Memorial, which honors Congressional Medal of Honor recipient Captain Darrell Lindsey.

Greene County was established in 1854, just a few years after the first settler arrived in 1849. Before the first courthouse was built in 1856 on the town square, the judge presided in a log building located southeast of Jefferson. The second courthouse, a two-story red-brick building, was constructed in 1870 and used until the current one was built in 1917.

The Abraham Lincoln statue was installed in 1918. The purpose was to not only honor the late president but to commemorate the Lincoln Highway, which was one of the first transcontinental highways in the country and passes next to the courthouse (the importance of the highway diminished when Interstate 80 was built). The carillon tower was built in 1966 and is 168-feet tall. The Lindsey Memorial was located in Germany and relocated moved in 1993. During a mission in World War II, Lindsey's B-26 bomber was badly hit but he managed to maneuver the plane enough to allow his fellow airmen to parachute to safety. He died when the plane crashed.

Harris, David. "Greene County Courthouse." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. December 14, 1978. https://npgallery.nps.gov/NRHP/GetAsset/NRHP/78001222_text.

"Our History." Greene County. Accessed October 29, 2021. https://greenecounty.iowa.gov/pview.aspx?id=15433&catid=662.