Night becomes you, you piece of the Midwest!  Illumination does wonders for you.  The limestone lower juxtaposing with the brick upper works well.  I would give a warning to the Future Arborists of America, though.  The courthouse’s lovely tower was partially obscured, and I could find no good vantage to photograph it from.  Not a … Continue reading 957. Red Oak, Montgomery County (IA15) →

It was just beginning to get darker when I arrived so fireflies lit my way as I walked across the lawn to the front of the Cass County Courthouse.  You don’t see so many of them these days, so it wasn’t the welcome I expected (if any) but it was a picturesque way to see … Continue reading 956. Atlantic, Cass County (IA14) →

The Shelby County Courthouse was odd for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, it was a long courthouse instead of a wide one, thus the short sides were entrances, and the long faces were side walls without them, which is pretty uncommon.  Secondly, the name of the building was carved prominently into the side faces with … Continue reading 955. Harlan, Shelby County (IA13) →

It was a weird situation I found myself in.  Usually if I have trouble photographing a courthouse, it’s because there are too many treesand I have to remind the Future Arborists of America about some best practices.  In Denison though, the problem was too many flags!  It doesn’t have a huge courthouse and for some … Continue reading 954. Denison, Crawford County (IA12) →

Heightened expectations strike again!  I recognized the style (aesthetic, not architectural [though yes, I saw that, too]) of the courthouse, but I suspected that the red rock that had given me enjoyment in the last few counties was in short supply here.  It’s a perfectly nice courthouse and all, and brick is good enough, but … Continue reading 953. Ida Grove, Ida County (IA11) →

After so many lovely courthouses, one of them had to be a dud.  You can’t have everything, can you?  A plaque out front revealed that the original courthouse, a lovely Romanesque building, had been destroyed in 1966.  With as small a place as Cherokee is, they may not have had the money to do better … Continue reading 952. Cherokee, Cherokee County (IA10) →

So why did they name this place Le Mars?  Was Ein Ares taken?  Jokes aside, the town’s name is an acronym of the first names of the female members of a party visiting with a railroad magnate in 1871.  Regardless of the source of the name, their courthouse game was peak!  This gorgeous classical piece … Continue reading 951. Le Mars, Plymouth County (IA09) →

Is this courthouse made of catlinite? Because it looks a lot like Pipestone County to me. My immediate thought on arrival was that we were returning to a more midwestern style of courthouses because somehow I managed to blank Madison and Ada out of my head despite seeing them literally hours before. But I also … Continue reading 950. Orange City, Sioux County (IA08) →

How fitting is it that the day after GWB's eighth anniversary my sixth and latest interview with HQ dropped! What timing! I talk about my travels up to Manitoba and in the Deep South along with a splash (but only a splash, mind you) of future plans. I promise there's not a deep narrative thread … Continue reading Here It Is 17: More Words For HQ! →

Back in Iowa again! The last time I was here, the wind was almost strong enough to blow my clothes off, but this time it was a little more temperate in that regard. I looked forward to the chance to take another slice off the state on my way home. When I laid eyes on … Continue reading 949. Rock Rapids, Lyon County (IA07) →