The Board of County Commissioners of Iowa County gave the order of the construction of the first courthouse in 1847. A one-room building was completed that year. The board of supervisors, however, decided after inspecting the building that it was not what they wanted, so a second courthouse was built.
The second courthouse was completed in 1851 and within ten years, it was outgrown. The third courthouse cost $2,000 and also was outgrown in just a few years.
The present courthouse was built with $50,000 raised from the auction of swampland. The total cost of the building was $57,608.16. The Romanesque style structure was dedicated on December 20, 1893. The courthouse is made of Berea stone. It is accented with turrets and a unique 137 foot tower.