[2] Des Moines became the headquarters for the Southern District and in 1902 there were discussions that the riverfront would be a suitable location for a new Federal Courthouse.

[3] The courthouse joined other buildings in a Civic Center district that flanks the Des Moines River.

Not only did it house space for the court, but also War, Justice, Navy, Interior, Agriculture, Commerce, Treasury and the United States Post Office departments.

By 2015 the Southern District of Iowa had determined that the courthouse does not have adequate space, there are not enough courtrooms, and there are security concerns.

A spending bill approved by President Barack Obama in December 2015 provided money for a new federal courthouse in Des Moines, but its location, cost and schedule to open have not been determined.

[4] The courthouse complex occupies an entire city block with its main façade on Walnut Street.

The piano nobile is finished with rusticated limestone and has semi-circular arched window openings that are ornamented with keystones.

The entrance opens into the main foyer, which contains the original gold, black, and white speckled terrazzo flooring framed by a base of red Verona marble.