The present Late Victorian style brick structure was built by the city in five stages.

[2] A two-story firehouse, which housed the hand-drawn fire carts and other firefighting equipment, was completed in January 1898.

It was operated by the city marshal to house those who broke municipal ordinances, and to provide a bed and a meal to those who were homeless.

The single-story structure provided two additional bays for fire trucks and integrated the tool house, jail, and firehouse into a single building.

[3] This article about a property in Montgomery County, Iowa on the National Register of Historic Places is a stub.