Delaware County is named for John M. Clayton, who was a Delaware Senator, or for the State of Delaware or for Delaware County in New York State.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Clayton County
E – Dubuque County
S – Jones County and Linn County
W – Buchanan County
Created: December 21, 1837
County Seat:
Delhi 1837 – 1894
Manchester 1894 – present
County Courthouse – Manchester
Location: 301 East Main Street / South Tama Street
Built: 1894 – 1895
Style: Romanesque
Architect: Charles E Bell of Minneapolis, Minnesota
Contractor: Barnett & Record Company
Description: The building faces north and is a two story red colored pressed brick and Bedford limestone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Manchester. The building has a limestone arch at the first story entrance. A high square brick clock tower rises at the northwest corner. A small but wider tower rises on the northeast corner. The foundation is course stone. The roof is hipped. In the interior there is a large entrance lobby with title floors and decorative metal ceiling. Wood stairs ascend to the second story. The large County District Court courtroom is located on the south side of the second story. The small Magistrate Court courtroom is located at the northeast side of the second story. The building houses the County District Court of the 1A Judicial District and the County Magistrate Court. On the southwest side is the old Sheriff’s Residence.
See: The architect Charles E Bell of Minneapolis, Minnesota designed many courthouses.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Delaware County Courthouse
See: The 1A Judicial District includes Allamakee County, Clayton County, Dubuque County and Winneshiek County.
History: The county was created in 1837 and Delhi was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story log structure built in Delhi in 1843 t0 1844. The second courthouse was built in 1850 to 1853 by the citizens of the county. The county seat was moved to Manchester in 1880. The third courthouse was a two story frame structure built in 1880. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1894 to 1895 at a cost of $38,000.
County Courthouse – Manchester
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County District Court courtroom
County Magistrate Court courtroom
Old Sheriff’s Residence – Manchester
Photos taken 2008 and 2024
Images 23*