Jones County Courthouse
The first Jones County Courthouse
was a 30 by 40 foot structure, built for $800. It was first occupied on January
3, 1848. The building was vacated in 1864 when the board of supervisors decided
that it was better fit for bats and owls than for court. It was destroyed by
fire in 1875.
The county rented space
for offices and court until a county seat contest heated up between Center
Junction and Anamosa. Anamosa appropriated $6,000 to purchase the second floor
of Shaw's block to be used by the county so long as the county seat remained in
that city.
On September 10, 1935, an
election was held, resulting in 76.8 percent of the voters favoring a new
courthouse. The building was completed at a cost of $200,000 in 1937.
