The Clinton Community College Cultural Committee, the Clinton History Club, and Clinton MTA will host a travel program visiting local historic properties on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Clinton currently has sixteen properties listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The tour will travel by bus to visit two of the local historic properties on April 21.
The program will start with a 60-minute tour of the historic 1897 Clinton County Courthouse & Jail, followed by a 60-minute tour of the historic 1877 Lafayette Lamb home, now owned by the Clinton YWCA. Both properties are listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Clinton courthouse was constructed by C.A. Moses of Chicago. The architect was G.S. Mansfield from Freeport, IL. Mansfield designed the courthouse in the Richardson Romanesque style. Redstone and granite were used on the outside walls to make them standout. The parapet gable ends and corner towers enhance this look. The exterior tower of the courthouse is eye-catching to visitors from blocks away. The interior of the courthouse is often described as elegant and artistically finished. The interior has three main floors, a basement, and an attic. The county completed a major 6-million-dollar remodeling program to the building in 2003. It is one of the finest historic courthouses in Iowa. The courthouse was listed on the NRHP on July 2, 1981.
The Lafayette Lamb home was designed by W.W. Sanborn in 1877 and J.C. Clausen was superintendent of construction. In 1906 major remodeling transformed the home. According to Ron Schmidt architect and historian the home went from Victorian Second Empire to more closely resembling Georgian Revival Style. The YWCA acquired the property in 1920. The home was donated to the YWCA by Judson & Olivia Carpenter relatives of the Lamb family. Some changes have been made to the interior. The original interior may be found in the west parlor, the main hall, and the entrance area. The old carriage house was converted to a gym. In 1979 the home was placed on the NRHP.
The historic property tour program begins on Tuesday April 21, 2026 at Clinton Community College, 1000 Lincoln Blvd., Clinton. Boarding registration for the buses begins at 8:30 am. Buses will leave the college promptly at 9:00 am and return at noon. Registration for the Bus Tour starts on Friday April 3, 2026. To register, call Clinton Community College Information Desk at 563-244-7001. For more information, contact Mardell Mommsen Flippen at 563-44-7006.