Audubon County is named for John James Audubon, who was a famous naturalist and who died in 1855.
Created: January 15, 1851
County Seat:
Hamlin’s Grove 1851 – 1861
Exira 1861 – 1879
Audubon 1879 – present
County Courthouse – Audubon
Location: 318 Leroy Street / Broadway Street
Built: 1938 – 1939
Style: Art Deco and Moderne
Architect: Keffer & Jones of Des Moines
Contractor: J C Mayer of Clarion
Description: The building faces southwest and is a two story buff colored brick, limestone and glass structure. The south front has wide vertical limestone dividers at the central section, separating the windows. The central entrance is framed by limestone. The base of the building is limestone. The roof line is flat.
Note: The first court met in a school house in Hamlin’s Grove. The first courthouse was built in Exira in 1872 at a cost of $2,200. In 1884, a building was acquired in Audubon at a cost of $7,000 for use as a courthouse. The building was demolished in 1939.
Courthouses:
N – Carroll County
E – Guthrie County
S – Cass County
W – Shelby County
Photos taken 2008