Encyclopedia Dubuque
"Encyclopedia Dubuque is the online authority for all things Dubuque, written by the people who know the city best.”
Marshall Cohen—researcher and producer, CNN
Affiliated with the Local History Network of the State Historical Society of Iowa, and the Iowa Museum Association.
BEAUX ARTS ARCHITECTURE
BEAUX ARTS ARCHITECTURE. Building style popular in the United States between 1890 and 1920. Demonstrated in Dubuque in the 1891 construction of the DUBUQUE COUNTY COURTHOUSE by Fridolin HEER and Son, the style was identified by its large and grand appearance. A variety of stone finishes were used in the construction along with a great amount of detail, colossal columns often found in groups of two, elaborate moldings, and free-standing statuary. The Courthouse also shows the typical complex roof structure used in the style. The style took its name from the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, France, where many of America's prominent architects at the turn of the century studied. The style became popular as a way of showing civic pride.