Cherokee County Courthouse (Iowa)

A public multipurpose building was moved into the city of Cherokee in 1863. In addition to court functions, it also served as a public hall, schoolroom, and a general utility headquarters.^[1] Several attempts to replace the building failed until 1888 when voters agreed to build a combination courthouse and jail. Completed in 1891, the Romanesque Revival-style building featured rusticated limestone on the lower levels, brick on the upper levels, gables on the third story, and a corner clock tower. The present two-story Modernist brick structure replaced it in 1966.^[2] Cherokee County issued $475,00 in bonds for its construction.^[1] The building was constructed into the side of a slope so that both floors are visible from Main Street, while form North Sixth Street only the upper floor is visible.