Jefferson County - American Courthouses

Jefferson County is named for Thomas Jefferson, who was President of the United States from 1801 to 1809.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Keokuk County and Washington County

E – Henry County

S – Van Buren County

W – Wapello County

Created: December 7, 1836

County Seat:

Fairfield 1840 – present

County Courthouse – Fairfield

Location: 51 West Briggs Avenue / North Main Street

Built: 1891 – 1893

Style: Romanesque Revival

Architect: H C Koch and Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Contractor: Theodore Peterson of Chicago, Illinois

Description: The building faces south and is a three story stone, wood and red colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Fairfield. The exterior of the building is Cleveland gray sandstone and the upper part is red colored brick. On the southwest corner is a high square clock tower with steep red roof. On the southeast corner is an octagonal tower with dome roof. The south front has a large arch at the first story entrance rising to a peaked roof. The interior has a foyer at the center of the first story. There is native oak woodwork. The County District Court courtroom is located on the southwest side of the second story. The County Magistrate Court courtroom is located at the center of the east side. The building houses the County District Court of the 8A Judicial District and the County Magistrate Court. The superintendent was Thomas L Hoffman. In 2004 the steeple removed in 1949, was restored. On the north side is the old two story red colored brick Sheriff’s Residence and Jail.

See: The architect, H C Koch and Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, designed courthouses in Mahaska County, Montgomery County and Webster County and in Kansas in Marshall County. The courthouse is similar to the courthouse in Montgomery County.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Jefferson County Courthouse

See: The 8A Judicial District includes Appanoose County, Davis County, Keokuk County, Mahaska County, Monroe County, Poweshiek County, Van Buren County, Wapello County and Washington County.

History: The county was created in 1836 and Fairfield was selected as the county seat in 1840 when the county was organized. The first courthouse was a two story wood structure with gable roof built in 1839 t0 1840. Tom Jones was awarded the plastering contract. The building was destroyed by fire on March 15, 1916. The second courthouse was a stone and brick structure built in 1851 at a cost of $7,500. The courthouse was dilapidated in 1873 and the Well’s Hall was rented as a courtroom. The courthouse was abandoned in 1878 and the county purchased the Old Harmony Church From Benjamin Pierce for $1,250 which became the third courthouse. The building was also destroyed by fire on March 15, 1916. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1891 to 1893 at a cost of $73,630.