Madison County Courthouse
In 1849, a log courthouse was
built in Monumental Square in the city of Winterset. This building also served
as a school, church, and resting spot for travelers.
A second courthouse was
built of stone with a jail on the second floor. In 1875, a fire destroyed the
building in less than four hours.
The present courthouse
was built in 1876, in the precise center of the county. The structure has four
wings which join to form a Greek cross. A silver-colored dome atop the center
of the roof stretches 136 into the air and houses a 1500-pound bell. The
exterior was designed in Italianate-Revival-Classic style and the interior
displays woodwork of solid walnut. The total cost of the building was about
$120,000. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.