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Madison County Courthouse
Photo: en:User:Cburnett, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons · tap to enlarge
National Register of Historic Places

Madison County Courthouse

Winterset’s first place on the National RegisterListed Aug 13, 1976; only 110 of Iowa’s 2,458 listings are older
Renaissance RevivalListed 1976Winterset
DirectionsAdd an old photo

Many listed buildings are private homes. Please enjoy them from the street.

About

About Madison County Courthouse

Madison County Courthouse, at City Sq., was added to the National Register of Historic Places on Aug 13, 1976: the first place in Winterset to be listed. Only 110 of Iowa’s 2,458 listings are older. The Register lists it for its architecture, at the state level. It describes its style as Renaissance Revival, as it does for 20 other Iowa listings. It was listed as part of County Courthouses in Iowa TR (AD); County Courthouses in Iowa TR; Legacy in Stone: The Settlement Era of Madison County, Iowa TR. Seven more Register listings are within a quarter mile.

What it isCourthouse in Iowa, United States. From Wikidata (CC0). Read about it on Wikipedia ↗

PDFRead the original nominationThe form that put it on the Register, with its history, photos and a map · 21 MB · National Archives↗
Through the years

1976 to today

  1. 1976Added to the National Register of Historic Places
  2. 2016The Madison County Courthouse
  3. 2026On the Register for 50 years
In old photographs

An old view of Madison County Courthouse

Postcards and photographs from Winterset’s archive whose captions name it, from 2016. Tap one to see it full screen.

The whole archive →
The Madison County Courthouse2016
The Madison County Courthouse
Visit

Make it a walk: 5 landmarks in about 15 minutes

City Sq., Winterset · about 0.6 miles on foot, as the crow flies

DirectionsWalk the tour in Google Maps
  1. 1Madison County CourthouseStart here
  2. 2Miller Richard and Mary Fisher Tidrick HouseBuilding · next door
  3. 3W. J. and Nettie J. Cornell HouseQueen Anne · Built 1896 · 0.2 mi on
  4. 4Guiberson HouseBuilding · 0.2 mi on
  5. 5Henry C. Wallace HouseVernacular · 0.2 mi on
Around it

9 more Register listings within half a mile

★ National Historic Landmark · D district · B building · S site. Each opens its own page.

BWinterset High SchoolBuilding0.1 miBJ. G. and Elizabeth S. Vawter HouseBuilt 18560.2 miBMunger and Company White StoreBuilding0.2 miDWinterset Courthouse Square Commercial Historic DistrictDistrict0.2 miBC. D. Bevington House and Stone BarnVernacular Gothic0.4 miBWinterset Municipal Power PlantBuilding0.4 miStCutler-Donahue Covered BridgeBuilt 18710.5 miBSprague, Brown, and Knowlton StoreBuilding0.5 miBEmily Hornback HouseBuilding0.5 mi

Memories of Madison County Courthouse

The record says what it is. Neighbors know what it means.

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Questions about Madison County Courthouse

Is Madison County Courthouse on the National Register of Historic Places?

Yes. It was added on Aug 13, 1976 (Register number 76000790).

Is Madison County Courthouse a National Historic Landmark?

No. It is on the National Register; Iowa has 22 National Historic Landmarks. The nearest is Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School, 24.4 miles away.

Can you visit Madison County Courthouse?

Our record doesn’t say whether it is open to visitors. Many listed buildings are private, so it may only be seen from the street.

Where can I read the history of Madison County Courthouse?

In its National Register nomination, the form that put it on the Register: a 21 MB PDF at the National Archives, linked on this page.

Sources: National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places (05/22/2026) · National Archives catalog record 75336980 · Wikidata · old views from Winterset’s archive. Map tiles © OpenStreetMap contributors.