Waverly in Bremer County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)

Bremer County Courthouse

Dedicated June 1937

— 415 East Bremer Avenue —

Bremer County Courthouse Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2021

1. Bremer County Courthouse Marker

Inscription. This property has been placed on the
Waverly Historic Registry

Erected 2007 by Waverly Historic Preservation Commission.

Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Charity & Public Work • Law Enforcement • Notable Buildings. In addition, it is included in the National Register of Historic Places, and the Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects series lists. A significant historical year for this entry is 1937.

Location. 42° 43.587′ N, 92° 27.907′ W. Marker is in Waverly, Iowa, in Bremer County. Marker is on East Bremer Avenue (State Road 3) just west of 5th Street Northeast, on the right when traveling west. The marker is mounted directly on the subject building, on left side of the front/south entrance staircase. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 415 East Bremer Avenue, Waverly IA 50677, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Bremer County Civil War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Bremer County World War Memorial (a few steps from this marker); Replica of the Statue of Liberty (a few steps from this marker); Bremer County Korean & Vietnam War Memorial (within shouting distance of this marker);

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

The Bremer Avenue Bridge over the Cedar River (approx. 0.3 miles away); Waverly Cedar River Dam (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Waverly Cedar River Dam (approx. 0.3 miles away); a different marker also named Waverly Cedar River Dam (approx. 0.3 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Waverly.

Regarding Bremer County Courthouse. National Register of Historic Places #03000821.

From the National Register Nomination:
The Bremer County Court House built in 1936-1937 is one of ten courthouses built in Iowa during the federal Public Works Administration (PWA) program's operation in the 1930s. PWA Docket IA 1338-R. The front of the courthouse faces south. The courthouse has a reinforced concrete structure with a brick and stone facing. The foundation is clad in Kasota Stone, a tan-colored limestone quarried near Mankato, Minnesota sometimes referred to as "Mankato Stone." The walls are faced in a tan-colored brick manufactured by the Mason City Brick and Tile Co. and are set in a light gray-colored mortar. Decorative cut stone is also Kasota Stone with the entrance surround constructed of polished
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2021

2. Bremer County Courthouse Marker(s)
(on the left side of the front/south staircase)
In Celebration of 150 Years
1853 Bremer County 2003
Remodeled and Rededicated
to the People of Bremer County
August 15, 2003
Bremer County Board of Supervisors
James Block, Chair — District I
Gaylord Hinderaker — District II
Steven C. Reuter District III
black marble.
The Bremer County Court House is significant as one of ten county courthouses built in Iowa during the New Deal Era as part of the federal Public Works Administration and its successor agencies. Its construction represented a significant public investment of federal and local dollars by voters in a sparsely populated rural county that was hard pressed by the effects of the Great Depression.
It was designed by Mortimer Cleveland, an important northeast Iowa architect responsible for the design of hundreds of residences, public buildings, and commercial structures in Waterloo and surrounding communities. Its design is an example of the PWA Moderne Style of public building architecture developed during the 1930s and early 1940s. Its design blends Art Deco and Moderne style elements with the utilitarian advantages of modern office building construction. The Bremer County Court House was the second PWA courthouse built in Iowa and the only courthouse designed by Mortimer Cleveland.

Also see . . . Bremer County Court House (Wikipedia). Excerpt:

The county applied for funding from the Public Works Administration (PWA) in 1935 to assist with construction costs and received approval of the request of $60,750. In March 1936, voters approved a referendum to
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2021

3. Bremer County Courthouse (front/south entrance)
The marker is mounted on the left side of the front/south staircase.
fund the rest of the construction costs. Drape Construction Co. of Tripoli received the contract to build the building, and work commenced in October 1936 and was completed the following summer. Final construction cost was $119,000. The June 6, 1937 dedication ceremony was seen by 1,500 people. Justice Richard Mitchell of the Iowa Supreme Court and P.P. Hopkins, the State PWA Director, were the featured speakers.
The architectural style of the building is known as Depression Modern or PWA Moderne. The building features a symmetrical façade with a central section of 3½ stories that is flanked by two lower sections of 2½ stories over a raised basement. The interior featured multi-colored terrazzo floors, marble wainscoting, and acoustic tile.

(Submitted on January 20, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Bremer County Courthouse (<i>southwest elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2021

4. Bremer County Courthouse (southwest elevation)

Bremer County Courthouse (<i>southeast elevation</i>) image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 28, 2021

5. Bremer County Courthouse (southeast elevation)

Credits. This page was last revised on January 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on January 20, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 50 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. submitted on January 20, 2024, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.