Pocahontas County is named for Pocahontas, who was a famous Native American who played a leading role in the history of the first permanent English settlements in North America.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Palo Alto County
E – Humboldt County and Webster County
S – Calhoun County
Created: January 15, 1851
County Seat:
Old Rolfe 1851 – 1875
Pocahontas 1875 – present
County Courthouse – Pocahontas
Location: 99 Courthouse Square / North Main Street
Built: 1921 – 1923
Style: Classical Greco-Roman
Architect: Proudfoot, Bird & Rawson
Contractor: Arthur H Neuman & Company
Description: The building faces south and is a three story Bedford limestone structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Court Circle in the center of Pocahontas. The central entrance on the first story has three arches. Doric columns rise from the second to third stories along the south side. Festons are located between the columns and the second and third story windows. A projecting cornice runs below the flat roof line. In the interior are extensive decorative detail. The staircase is metal and marble. There is a large rotunda rising to a large circular stained glass skylight at the top of the third story. The rotunda has paneled soffits, decorative cornices, decorative frieze and screens of piers with decorative caps. The County Magistrate Court courtroom is located on the west side of the third story. The large County District Court courtroom is located along the west side of the third story. The courtroom has a coffered ceiling and decorative light fixtures. The building houses the County District Court of the 2B Judicial District.
See: The architect, Proudfoot and Bird also designed courthouses in Dallas County, Greene County, Jasper County and Polk County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Pocahontas County Courthouse
See: The 2B Judicial District includes Boone County, Calhoun County, Greene County, Hamilton County, Hardin County, Humboldt County, Marshall County, Story County, Webster County and Wright County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and Old Rolfe was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a brick building at Old Rolfe in 1851 which served as the courthouse and school. The county seat was moved to Pocahontas in 1875. The second courthouse was built by J L Gould in 1875 at a cost of $2,600. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1921 to 1923.
County Courthouse – Pocahontas
County District Court courtroom
County Magistrate Court courtroom
Photos taken 2008 and 2024
Images 24*