Cerro Gordo County - American Courthouses

Cerro Gordo County is named for the battle of Cerro Gordo during the Mexican-American War.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Worth County

E – Mitchell County and Floyd County

S – Franklin County

W – Hancock County

Created: January 15, 1851

County Seat:

Mason City 1855 – 1856

Livonia 1856 – 1858

Mason City 1858 – present

County Courthouse – Mason City

Location: 220 North Washington Avenue / 3rd Street NW

Built: 1936 – 1937

Style: Modern

Architect: Standard Oil Company

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces east and is a three story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Mason City. Light colored stone frames the east entrance. White colored finished concrete faces the east front with a stone frame. Buff colored brick is on the exterior of the remaining three sides. A bell tower stands separately at the southeast corner. The roof line is flat. In the interior, the County District Court courtroom is located at the northwest corner of the second story. There is a small courtroom located at the southeast side of the second story. The building houses the County District Court of the 2A Judicial District. The building was previously the Standard Oil Building. The building was renovated in 1941. The County acquired and renovated the building in 1959 to 1960. The architect was Liebenberg & Kaplan Architects and Engineers. The building was expanded in 1977 and 1978. The architect was Associated Engineers.

Note: The building plans were prepared by the Standard Oil Company at the Chicago, Illinois office.

See: The 2A Judicial District includes Bremer County, Butler County, Floyd County, Franklin County, Hancock County, Mitchell County, Winnebago County and Worth County.

History: The county was created in 1851 and Mason City was selected as the county seat in 1855. The county seat was moved to Livonia in 1856 and the first courthouse was built in 1856. The county seat was moved back to Mason City in 1858. The second courthouse was a two story structure built in 1866. The third courthouse was a three story structure designed by William Rush and Bowman & Company and constructed by Northern Building Company in 1902 at a cost 0f $64,000. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1936 to 1937 and purchased in 1959 at a cost of $159,400.