Clay County Courthouse (Iowa)
Encyclopedia
The Clay County Courthouse, located in Spencer, Iowa
, United States
, was built in 1901. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
first county seat. Voters chose Peterson
instead and allocated $6,000 for a courthouse. When the contractor turned in a bill for $7,500 he was paid $6,000. In 1871 the county seat was moved to Spencer and a courthouse was built for $1,333. It became too small and another courthouse was built for $4,435. The old courthouse was used for a barn, a cement block factory and then remade into two houses. The present courthouse was begun in 1900 and built at a cost of $60,000. The red stone Classical Revival building features a bronze
covered dome.
Spencer, Iowa
Spencer is a city in the state of Iowa , and the county seat of Clay County . It is located at the confluence of the Little Sioux and Ocheyedan Rivers. The population was 11,233 in the 2010 census, a decline from 11,317 in the 2000 census. Spencer is famous as the home of the Clay County Fair,...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, was built in 1901. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.
History
A commission chose Spencer Township as Clay County’sClay County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 16,667 in the county, with a population density of . There were 8,062 housing units, of which 7,282 were occupied.-2000 census:...
first county seat. Voters chose Peterson
Peterson, Iowa
Peterson is a city in Clay County, Iowa, United States. The population was 334 in the 2010 census, a decline from 372 in the 2000 census. -History:...
instead and allocated $6,000 for a courthouse. When the contractor turned in a bill for $7,500 he was paid $6,000. In 1871 the county seat was moved to Spencer and a courthouse was built for $1,333. It became too small and another courthouse was built for $4,435. The old courthouse was used for a barn, a cement block factory and then remade into two houses. The present courthouse was begun in 1900 and built at a cost of $60,000. The red stone Classical Revival building features a bronze
Bronze
Bronze is a metal alloy consisting primarily of copper, usually with tin as the main additive. It is hard and brittle, and it was particularly significant in antiquity, so much so that the Bronze Age was named after the metal...
covered dome.