Louisa County is named for Louisa Massey, who was a well known citizen because she avenged the murder of her brother when she shot the party responsible.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Johnson County and Muscatine County
E – Mercer County, Illinois
S – Des Moines County and Henry County
W – Henry County and Washington County
Created: December 7, 1836 
County Seat:
Lower Wapello 1836 – 1840
Middle Wapello 1840 – 1856
Wapello 1856 – present
County Courthouse – Wapello
Location: 117 South Main Street / Washington Street
Built: 1928 – 1929
Style: Art Deco
Architect: Keiffer, Jones and Thomas of Des Moines
Contractor: Zohbon and Lewis of Des Moines
Description: The building faces east and is a two story buff colored brick and stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Wapello. The front has vertical white colored bands dividing the windows. A white colored horizontal band runs below the flat roof line. There is a large eagle carved in the stone above on the east front. The building houses the County District Court of the 8B Judicial District.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Louisa County Courthouse
See: The 8B Judicial District includes Des Moines County, Henry County and Lee County.
History: The county was created in 1836 and Lower Wapello was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a cottonwood log privately owned structure built in 1836 in Lower Wapello. The county seat was moved to Middle Wapello in 1840 and the second courthouse, a brick structure was designed by John Rinearson and built in Middle Wapello at a cost of $1,300. The third courthouse was built by E B Isett in 1854 to 1855 at a cost of $9,578. The county seat became Wapello by incorporation in 1856. A courthouse was built in Columbus Junction in 1872 at a cost of $25,000 but was converted for use as a school when the county seat was not moved there. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 1928 to 1929 at a cost of $100,000.
County Courthouse - Wapello
Photos taken 2008