At the heart of Madison County and the center of Winterset stands our beautiful and much beloved limestone Courthouse. It is a significant building to the development of Winterset and still houses Madison County’s government offices. Many of the commercial buildings surrounding the Courthouse Square are historically intact. A desire to protect, restore and refurbish these historic treasures led to a grass-roots effort to obtain a coveted National Historic Register designation for the entire commercial district.
For information on our 2017-2018 Courthouse Historic Structure Report (HSR) project, click here. The finished Historic Structure Report will provide a comprehensive history of the Madison County Courthouse, a definitive assessment of its current condition, and treatment recommendations for future improvements.
On December 22, 2015, the grand Madison County limestone Courthouse and historically intact commercial buildings surrounding the Square were designated as a National Historic District by the National Park Service. These buildings represent the significant historical development of Winterset and Madison County. A desire to protect, restore and refurbish these historic treasures led to four years of research to create the documentation needed to obtain the coveted National Historic Register designation for the entire commercial district.
Map of the Winterset Courthouse Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places
Historic Photos of the Courthouse Historic District
Courthouse Historic District Nomination Document
Sample Property Registration Forms
Background: How the Process Unfolded, and What’s Next
Celebration Event: The Official Launch, January 29th, 2016
Presentation: What Makes Winterset’s Historic District Significant
Presentation: Madison County Historic Preservation Commission: Project – Progress – Stories
Media Coverage
State Historical Society of Iowa: Loren Horton Community History Award
WHO-TV Video Clip: Winterset Adds Commercial District to National Register of Historic Places
Winterset Living Article: Winterset Courthouse Square District Receives National Recognition
WHO-TV Video Clip: Winterset Hosts Preserve Iowa Summit
Winterset Madisonian Article: Panel to be honored for guiding historic district nomination effort
Thank You
The Madison County Historic Preservation Commission would like to thank these organizations/entities for their support in making the Winterset Courthouse Historic District project a success:
Allen Family Private Photograph Collection
City of Winterset
Madison County Civil War 150 Committee
Madison County Supervisors
Madison County Historical Society
Madison County Genealogical Society
Madison County Antique Association
National Park Service
State Historic Preservation Office
The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset Public Library
