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

[2] It was also used for a variety of functions such as a theater, lecture hall, opera house, and a place of worship.

[5] It was designed by the Des Moines architectural firm of Foster & Liebbe, and C. Stanfford was the contractor who built it.

[4] The four-story building measures 101-by-94-foot (31 by 29 m) and a statue of Chief Wapello rests on a pedestal high above the main entrance.

The interior has been renovated over the course of years, but it does feature an ornate cast-iron staircase behind the elevator shaft.

The framing is milled woodwork that creates the effect of a fluted pilaster, as well as decorative corner and side blocks.

Behind the judge's bench is a decorative panel that contains a classical urn with a vine and leaf pattern and the Latin phrase Fiat Justitia (Let there be Justice).

[5] Another panel is on the front of the bench and contains a female figure in the middle surrounded by foliage and two banners that repeat the Latin phrase.