Dallas County Courthouse

The Dallas County Courthouse, located in Adel, Iowa, is the fourth and final courthouse for the county. Opened to the public in 1902, the courthouse was designed by the Iowa firm of Proudfoot & Bird, who took inspiration from the 16th century French Chateau Azay-le-Rideu at Indre-et-Loire, located west of Tours. One of Iowa’s most renowned firms, Proudfoot and Bird were prolific during the first two decades of the 20th century, creating numerous public buildings throughout the state. Examples include the Polk County Courthouse in Des Moines (1906) and the Jasper County Courthouse (1911).

The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places several times, including such entries as an individual structure in 1973, with a boundary increase in 1977; as part of the County Courthouses in Iowa in 1981; and as a part of the multiple property listing for The Architectural Legacy of Proudfoot & Bird in Iowa 1882-1940.

The interior of the courthouse has undergone extensive renovation in recent years, including reinstating original colors and finishes, complete restoration of the rotunda, and historically inspired light fixtures.

In 2022, EverGreene was contracted to gild the dome of the historic Dallas County Courthouse building. Our team has successfully gilded the domes of numerous courthouses in the past, including the small flanking domes at the Iowa State Capitol. EverGreene restoration specialists cleaned, prepped, and gilded the dome using 23.5 karat gold leaf.