Polk County Historic Courthouse

The restoration of Des Moines’ historic Polk County Courthouse represents the final phase of a multi-year plan to shape a new courts campus in the city’s downtown core. Two additional buildings, the Polk County Justice Center and the Polk County Criminal Courts, both also recently renovated buildings, sit adjacent to the original 1906 courthouse to form a new center of justice, dignity, and safety. The historic courthouse was designed by the celebrated Des Moines firm Proudfoot and Bird and served the Fifth Judicial District for nearly 120 years. It is one of the few remaining Beaux-Arts style buildings in the region. Over the last century, as the county’s needs evolved, demands on courtroom space initiated short-term space solutions that became long-term. Superficial repairs and changes were made without consideration of the historical context. For example, the original building had six courtrooms. By 2014 the historic courthouse was operating with 29 courtrooms. In some instances, one of the original courtrooms had been subdivided into as many as six courtrooms. The restoration and preservation of the historic courthouse brings the century old building back to life by uncovering and restoring much of its original details and architecture. Drop ceilings were removed to reveal ornate plaster molding in serious disrepair. In each of the original six courtrooms, more than 100 years of smoke, dirt, and grime were scrubbed from the existing marble, terrazzo flooring, and woodwork. Once the team removed the patchwork tile ceilings, carpet, and paint, it conducted historically accurate plaster repairs and restored the original paint schemes. The original light fixtures were retrofitted with efficient LEDs, and new lighting was added to showcase the courthouse’s rotunda, lobby ceilings, and artwork. Historic furniture was also salvaged and restored, including the judges’ benches. In other areas that were not fully restored, the team integrated adaptations to create contemporary courtrooms that honor the existing architecture, creating a new layout that shapes flexible and just courtroom use. Numerous functional and safety challenges were addressed by replacing all of the courthouse’s mechanical, plumbing, and electrical systems. Audio-visual upgrades have also propelled the courthouse into the modern age.