Ringgold County Courthouse
A courthouse was built in the
spring of 1856 in Mount Ayr. During a session of court on June 8, 1858, a
cyclone blew down the courthouse and many records disappeared.
For a cost of $3,500, a
new courthouse was built of native lumber. This courthouse was burned to the
ground on Thanksgiving Day, 1889. Fortunately, in 1883, construction of a third
courthouse had already begun. This brick and stone building was completed for a
cost of $36,455. In 1921, the building was condemned and given, along with $500
in cash, to a house wrecker to be torn down.
A new courthouse was
approved by the voters in 1926. This building measures approximately 86 by 91
feet, is made of brick, has three stories, and cost a total of $132,533 to
build.
