Blue Earth County Courthouse

Last updated
Historic Blue Earth County Courthouse
Blue Earth County Courthouse.jpg
The Blue Earth County Courthouse from the northwest
USA Minnesota location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Usa edcp location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Blue Earth County Courthouse
Interactive map showing the location of Blue Earth County Courthouse
Location204 S. 5th St.,
Mankato, Minnesota
Coordinates 44°9′49″N93°59′57″W / 44.16361°N 93.99917°W / 44.16361; -93.99917
Built1886–9
Architect Haley & Allen; Ring & Tobin
Architectural styleLate 19th And 20th Century Revivals
MPS Blue Earth County MRA
NRHP reference No. 80001940 [1]
Added to NRHPJuly 28, 1980

The Blue Earth County Historic Courthouse is the former courthouse of Blue Earth County, Minnesota, United States, in the city of Mankato, the county seat. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Court services were moved from the Historic Courthouse to the Blue Earth County Justice Center, located at 401 Carver Rd, Mankato, Minnesota in 2009.

Contents

History

Lady Justice Blue Earth County Courthouse Clocktower.JPG
Lady Justice
Blue Earth County Courthouse, Mankato, Minnesota Blue Earth County Courthouse, Mankato, Minnesota.jpg
Blue Earth County Courthouse, Mankato, Minnesota

The building, completed in 1889, was the second courthouse in the county. The first courthouse in the county, a 20-by-24 foot one-story stone building, was built in 1857. [2]

According to local Welsh-language poet James D. Price, whose Bardic name was "Ap Dewi", the first Eisteddfod held in Mankato took place at the Blue Earth County Courthouse on January 1, 1873. [3]

By the mid 1800s, the county commissioners felt that the previous buildings were a "disgrace and gave strangers that we were behind the times. That the county was either poverty stricken or greatly lacking in enterprise." [2] At this time, there was a debate on whether to relocate the county seat to Garden City or have it remain in Mankato. [4]

After much debate, a building was started in 1886. The new building, designed by Minneapolis architects Haley & Allen, combined a Second Empire roof and dome with Italianate features. The stone was provided by a local quarry, with various techniques giving it both rusticated and ashlar surfaces. The copper-sheathed dome is capped with a statue of Lady Justice. [5]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mankato, Minnesota</span> City in Minnesota, United States

Mankato is a city in Blue Earth, Nicollet, and Le Sueur counties in the U.S. state of Minnesota. The population was 44,488 according to the 2020 census, making it the 21st-largest city in Minnesota, and the 5th-largest outside of the Minneapolis–Saint Paul metropolitan area. It is along a large bend of the Minnesota River at its confluence with the Blue Earth River. Mankato is across the Minnesota River from North Mankato. Mankato and North Mankato have a combined population of 58,763 according to the 2020 census. It completely encompasses the town of Skyline. North of Mankato Regional Airport, a tiny non-contiguous part of the city lies within Le Sueur County. Most of the city is in Blue Earth County.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dubuque County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Dubuque County Courthouse is located on Central Avenue, between 7th and 8th Streets, in Dubuque, Iowa, United States. The current structure was built from 1891 to 1893 to replace an earlier building. These are believed to be the only two structures to house the county courts and administrative offices.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">DeKalb County Courthouse (Illinois)</span> Local government building in the United States

The DeKalb County Courthouse is located in the county seat of DeKalb County, Illinois, U.S., the city of Sycamore. The Classical Revival structure sits on a square facing Illinois Route 64 as it passes through the city. The current courthouse was constructed in 1905 amid controversy over where the courthouse and thus, ultimately, the county seat would be located. The current building is the third structure to bear the name "DeKalb County Courthouse." DeKalb County's Courthouse still serves as the county's primary judicial center and is a contributing property to the Sycamore Historic District. The district joined the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. As the county's primary courthouse for over 100 years, the site has been host to many trials, including prominent murder cases.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Butler County Courthouse (Ohio)</span> Local government building in the United States

The Butler County Courthouse is located in Hamilton, Ohio and was constructed from 1885–1889 by architect David W. Gibbs. The courthouse is a registered historic building listed in the National Register on June 22, 1981.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Allen County Courthouse (Ohio)</span> Local government building in the United States

The Allen County Courthouse is an historic courthouse building located at the corner of North Main Street & East North Street in Lima, Ohio, United States. In 1974, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auglaize County Courthouse</span> Local government building in the United States

The Auglaize County Courthouse is located between West Mechanic, Willipie, West Pearl and Perry Streets in downtown Wapakoneta, Ohio, United States. Completed in 1894, it is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Woodbury County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Woodbury County Courthouse is located at 620 Douglas Street in Sioux City, the county seat of Woodbury County, Iowa, United States. It is regarded as "one of the finest Prairie School buildings in the United States" and has been declared a National Historic Landmark for its architecture. It is used for legal proceedings in the county.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steele County Courthouse (Minnesota)</span> United States historic place

The Steele County Courthouse is the seat of government for Steele County, located in Owatonna, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1891. The courthouse is a three-story Austin red-brick building with red mortar, accented with Lake Superior brown stone. It was designed by T. Dudley Allen of Minneapolis in a Romanesque Revival and Italianate style, featuring corner towers, a turret, and a large clock on four sides. Windows are arched and a statue representing Mercy, Law, and Justice sits above the north face of the building. Polished granite columns support double arches at the entrances. The interior is decorated with wainscoting, woodwork, and an ornate oak staircase. The courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government. It was nominated for its Romanesque Revival architecture and long service as Steele County's government seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilkin County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Wilkin County Courthouse is the primary government building of Wilkin County, Minnesota, United States, located in the city of Breckenridge. Built from 1928 to 1929, the courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government. It was nominated for being Wilkin County's seat of government and for its well-preserved architecture.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beltrami County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Beltrami County Courthouse is a historic government building in Bemidji, Minnesota, United States. It was erected in 1902 as the seat of government for Beltrami County. District court functions relocated in 1974 to the newly completed Beltrami County Judicial Center immediately to the southwest, and the historic courthouse has been remodeled to house government offices. The old courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988 for its state-level significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government. It was nominated for its status in Beltrami County as its long-serving center government and as its most prominent example of public architecture and Beaux-Arts style.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Renville County Courthouse and Jail</span> United States historic place

The Renville County Courthouse and Jail is a historic building located at 500 East DePue Avenue in Olivia, Minnesota, United States; the seat of Renville County. It was constructed in 1902.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hudson County Courthouse</span> Beaux-Arts courthouse in Jersey City, USA

The Hudson County Courthouse or Justice William J. Brennan Jr. Courthouse is located in Jersey City, Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. The six-story structure was originally built between 1906 and 1910 at a cost of $3,328,016.56. It is considered to be an outstanding example of the Beaux-Arts architectural style in the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">National Register of Historic Places listings in Blue Earth County, Minnesota</span>

This is a list of the National Register of Historic Places listings in Blue Earth County, Minnesota. It is intended to be a complete list of the properties and districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Blue Earth County, Minnesota, United States. The locations of National Register properties and districts for which the latitude and longitude coordinates are included below, may be seen in an online map.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building, United States Courthouse and Custom House</span>

The Gerald W. Heaney Federal Building, United States Courthouse and Custom House in Duluth, Minnesota, is a courthouse of the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. Completed in 1930, it is part of the Duluth Civic Center Historic District, listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In 2007 the United States Congress passed an act to rename the building for former Circuit Court judge Gerald Heaney. It was enacted into law that same year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Marshall County Courthouse (Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Marshall County Courthouse is located in Marshalltown, Iowa, United States. The current building was completed in 1886 to replace an earlier building. The courthouse is a dominant landmark in downtown Marshalltown. It was individually listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. In 2002 it was listed as a contributing property in the Marshalltown Downtown Historic District. It is the third building the county has used for a courthouse and county business.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Madison County Courthouse (Iowa)</span> United States historic place

The Madison County Courthouse is located in Winterset, Iowa, United States. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. It was included as a contributing property in the Winterset Courthouse Square Commercial Historic District in 2015. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muscatine County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Muscatine County Courthouse in Muscatine, Iowa, United States, was built in 1909. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1981 as a part of the County Courthouses in Iowa Thematic Resource. The courthouse is the third building the county has used for court functions and county administration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cottonwood County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Cottonwood County Courthouse is the seat of government for Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States, located in the city of Windom. It has been in continual use since its dedication in 1905. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1977 for its state-level significance in the themes of architecture and art. It was nominated for the neoclassicism expressed throughout the building, from the exterior architecture to the interior design and artwork.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Watonwan County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Watonwan County Courthouse in St. James, Minnesota, United States, is the seat of government for Watonwan County, in continual use since it was completed in 1896. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 for having state-level significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government. It was nominated for its exemplary Romanesque Revival architecture, its status as one of Minnesota's remaining monumental Victorian courthouses and as a local landmark, and its longstanding service as county seat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Big Stone County Courthouse</span> United States historic place

The Big Stone County Courthouse in Ortonville, Minnesota is the center of government for Big Stone County, Minnesota. The county was established by the Minnesota Legislature in 1862, but the government was not organized until 1873, when Governor Horace Austin appointed three county commissioners. They did nothing, so Governor Cushman Kellogg Davis appointed three replacement commissioners in 1874. The county seat was established at Ortonville in 1874 and three elected commissioners took office in the beginning of 1877. The organization was challenged in court, and the Minnesota Supreme Court ruled that the county had not properly been organized. The county was declared organized in 1881 by the Minnesota Legislature. The first courthouse, a wood-frame structure, was built in October 1882, but was destroyed by fire on October 31, 1885. A new wood-frame courthouse was built in 1886, and the county later built a granite jail building in 1895.

References

  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. January 23, 2007.
  2. 1 2 Logue, Mary; Douglas Ohman (2006). Courthouses of Minnesota. Minnesota Historical Society. ISBN   0-87351-550-1.
  3. Translated by Martha A. Davies (2015), History of the Welsh in Minnesota, Foreston, and Lime Springs, Iowa, Great Plains Welsh Heritage Project. Wymore, Nebraska. Pages 131.
  4. "The Court-House Question". The Mankato Review. February 23, 1886.
  5. "Building Location Details: Blue Earth County Courthouse". Minnesota Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2007-06-17.