Middle Wapello was originally chosen to be the county seat and the first courthouse was built of cottonwood logs. This building was privately owned. A county-built courthouse was constructed from brick and completed in 1840.
By 1846, many citizens felt that a better courthouse was needed and a new facility was completed in 1854. The final cost of the courthouse was $9,577.69.
The citizens of Columbus Junction were eager to attain the honor of county seat for their town in 1872. They raised $25,000 and erected a two-story brick building to be used as a courthouse, but Columbus Junction lost the battle for the county seat and the building was used as a schoolhouse.
The present Louisa County courthouse was built in Wapello, in 1928 on the same site as the 1854 courthouse, which was torn down. The two-story building is made of tan colored bricks and trimmed with stone. The cost of the present structure was about $100,000.