Muscatine County - American Courthouses

Muscatine County is named for the Muscatine Native American tribe, or for the Native American word for “prairie”.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Cedar County and Scott County

E – Scott County and Rock Island County, Illinois

S – Rock Island County, Illinois and Louisa County

W – Louisia County and Johnson County

Created: December 7, 1836

County Seat:

Muscatine 1836 – present

County Courthouse – Muscatine

Location: 401 East 3rd Street / Walnut Street

Built: 1907 – 1908

Style: Classical Revival

Architect: Joseph Eldred Mills of Detroit, Michigan

Contractor: W J McAlpine of Dixon, Illinois

Description: The building faces southeast and is a three story stone and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Muscatine. There is a central portico supported by four high columns rising from the second story to the pediment at the roof line. The north and south wings project from the main building. On the center of the roof is a high clock tower with open sides. The roof is hipped. In the interior, wide stairs ascend to the second story. At the center is a rotunda rising to a dome at the top of the third story which is decorated with murals. The County District Court courtroom is located on the northeast side. The courtroom has dark wood furnishings. On the southwest side is a small courtroom. The County Magistrate Court courtroom is located on the southeast side of the first story. The building houses the County District Court of the 7th Judicial District and the Magistrate Court. The courtrooms were restored in 2018. The architect was Horizon.Original.Architecture and the contractor was Wolfe Contacting. In 2024, the roof was restored. On the north side is the old two story County Jail designed by J E Mills of Detroit, Michigan and built by J H Selden of Muscatine in 1908 to 1909.

See: The architect Joseph Eldred Mills also designed courthouses in Illinois in Hancock County, in Iowa in Harrison County and in Michigan in Sanilac County.

See: The 7th Judicial District includes Cedar County, Clinton County, Jackson County and Scott County.

History: The county was created in 1836 and Muscatine was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built in Bloomington ( Muscatine ) in 1840 at a cost of $15,000 and was destroyed by fire. The second courthouse was built by J C Farrand in 1867 at a cost of $29,000. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1907 to 1908 at a cost of $108,500.

County Administration Building – Muscatine