It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource.

The opposition came mainly from people in the south, while centrally located Fayette offered to build a courthouse for the county there.

County citizens refused to build a jail, however, and a section of the northwest corner of the courthouse was fashioned for that purpose.

Large pilasters separate window bays on the second and third stories and the building is accessed through solid bronze doors.

The interior features a domed skylight, extensive use of marble, plaster cornices, brass railings, and ceramic tile floors.