The O’Brien County Courthouse located in Primghar, Iowa was built in 1891. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the fourth building the county has used for court functions and county administration.HistoryThe county’s first courthouse was a log building built on a farm for about $2,000 in 1860. It was later moved to a different location where it served as a schoolhouse, blacksmith shop and a stable. The county’s second courthouse was completed in April 1874 for about $2,000 as well. It was built in the recently established county seat of Primghar. It was replaced by the third courthouse that was built in 1887 for $6,000. The building measured 50by. An addition was built on to the structure in 1902 to recreate additional space for the county government. The present courthouse was completed in 1915 for $159,000. The Beaux Arts style building is three-stories tall and the exterior is clad in Bedford stone. The corridors in the interior are made of marble and the handrails in the stairways are finished in bronze.
