Dubuque County Courthouse
Encyclopedia
The Dubuque County Courthouse is located in Dubuque, Iowa
. The current building was built in 1891 to replace an earlier building that was built in 1839. The courthouse is a dominant landmark in the downtown Dubuque area, located at Seventh Street and Central Avenue.
is located at the courthouse, along with the offices for the district court judges.
The Dubuque County Sheriff is located at the law enforcement complex, which is across the street from the courthouse. The Sheriff's department shares the facility with the city of Dubuque's police force. Due to recent expansion of the law enforcement center, teleconferencing between the court house and the jail is now an option, as are holding hearings directly in the center itself.
. It was one of the first buildings in the Dubuque area so honored. Fridolin Heer - who designed several other notable buildings in Dubuque, including Sacred Heart Church
- was chosen as the architect for this project. Heer decided to use Beaux-Arts architecture - a large and grand style with a great amount of detail, large columns, elaborate moldings, and free standing statuary in the design of the courthouse. The adjacent Dubuque County Jail
is a National Historic Landmark
.
The building is 88 feet (26.8 m) by 125 feet (38.1 m) in size. A 190 feet (57.9 m) high central tower is capped with a bronze statue of Lady Justice that is 14 feet (4.3 m) tall. Other pewter statues are also on the building. Several other statues were taken down during World War I
and melted down to provide material for the war effort. The two circular architectural parts on top of the courthouse both contain pure gold roofs.
On the outside, a controversial gold leaf coat was added to dome on the central tower. However, the initial application of gold leafing did not hold up well under various weather conditions, so it took further work to repair the leafing on the dome.
In the aftermath of the murder of Federal Judge's Joan Humphrey Lefkow's mother and husband in Illinois
, and the murder of Judge Rowland Barnes
in Atlanta, Georgia
the county reevaluated the security of the court house. The county took several measures to tighten security at the building. This included the closing of all but one entrance to the courthouse, requiring visitors to have their possessions screened, and requiring visitors to pass through a metal detector
in order to visit the courthouse.
Dubuque, Iowa
Dubuque is a city in and the county seat of Dubuque County, Iowa, United States, located along the Mississippi River. In 2010 its population was 57,637, making it the ninth-largest city in the state and the county's population was 93,653....
. The current building was built in 1891 to replace an earlier building that was built in 1839. The courthouse is a dominant landmark in the downtown Dubuque area, located at Seventh Street and Central Avenue.
Courthouse services
A number of county government offices are located at the courthouse. These include the county auditor, treasurer, and attorney. The Iowa District Court for Dubuque County, IowaDubuque County, Iowa
Dubuque County is a county located in the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 93,653 in the 2010 census, an increase from 89,143 in the 2000 census. The county seat is the city of Dubuque. Dubuque County is coterminous with the Dubuque, Iowa Metropolitan Statistical Area, and is the seventh...
is located at the courthouse, along with the offices for the district court judges.
The Dubuque County Sheriff is located at the law enforcement complex, which is across the street from the courthouse. The Sheriff's department shares the facility with the city of Dubuque's police force. Due to recent expansion of the law enforcement center, teleconferencing between the court house and the jail is now an option, as are holding hearings directly in the center itself.
Courthouse building
The Dubuque County Courthouse is on the National Register of Historic PlacesNational 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...
. It was one of the first buildings in the Dubuque area so honored. Fridolin Heer - who designed several other notable buildings in Dubuque, including Sacred Heart Church
Sacred Heart Catholic Church (Dubuque)
Sacred Heart Catholic Church is a Roman Catholic church in Dubuque, Iowa. It is part of the Archdiocese of Dubuque and located at 2215 Windsor Ave. The parish was one of the locations where the movie F.I.S.T. starring Sylvester Stallone was filmed....
- was chosen as the architect for this project. Heer decided to use Beaux-Arts architecture - a large and grand style with a great amount of detail, large columns, elaborate moldings, and free standing statuary in the design of the courthouse. The adjacent Dubuque County Jail
Dubuque County Jail
The Dubuque County Jail is an historic building in Dubuque, Iowa. The National Park Service describes it: "Completed in 1858, this massive stone building was designed by the Midwestern architect who also did such masterpieces as the Old Illinois State Capitol...
is a National Historic Landmark
National Historic Landmark
A National Historic Landmark is a building, site, structure, object, or district, that is officially recognized by the United States government for its historical significance...
.
The building is 88 feet (26.8 m) by 125 feet (38.1 m) in size. A 190 feet (57.9 m) high central tower is capped with a bronze statue of Lady Justice that is 14 feet (4.3 m) tall. Other pewter statues are also on the building. Several other statues were taken down during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and melted down to provide material for the war effort. The two circular architectural parts on top of the courthouse both contain pure gold roofs.
Renovations
Over the years, a number of renovations were done to the building. Many of these renovations were done in the 1980s. A unique five story glass encased elevator was installed - it is one of the few glass-walled elevators currently in the city. Ground floor entrances replaced the second floor entrance on Central Ave. A granite fountain was placed on the ground floor. Plaster was removed from the walls to show the original brick.On the outside, a controversial gold leaf coat was added to dome on the central tower. However, the initial application of gold leafing did not hold up well under various weather conditions, so it took further work to repair the leafing on the dome.
In the aftermath of the murder of Federal Judge's Joan Humphrey Lefkow's mother and husband in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and the murder of Judge Rowland Barnes
Rowland Barnes
Rowland W. Barnes was a Fulton County, Georgia, United States, Superior Court Judge. He was shot to death in his courtroom....
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
the county reevaluated the security of the court house. The county took several measures to tighten security at the building. This included the closing of all but one entrance to the courthouse, requiring visitors to have their possessions screened, and requiring visitors to pass through a metal detector
Metal detector
A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...
in order to visit the courthouse.