Waseca County Courthouse

The Waseca County Courthouse is the seat of government for Waseca County in Waseca, Minnesota, United States. The 1897 Richardsonian Romanesque building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982 for having state-level significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government.[2] It was nominated for being the home of the county's government and for the role that achieving county seat status had on the development of the city.[3]

Waseca County Courthouse
The courthouse from the southeast
Location307 North State Street, Waseca, Minnesota
Coordinates44°4′47″N 93°30′28″W
AreaLess than one acre
Built1897
Built byJ.D. Carroll
ArchitectOrff & Joralemon
Architectural styleRichardsonian Romanesque
NRHP reference No.82003070[1]
Designated September 2, 1982

Description
The courthouse from the east

The Waseca County Courthouse is a two-story building of Kasota limestone and buff-colored brick, with a large bell- and clock-tower. It was designed by Minneapolis architects Orff and Joralemon and constructed by J. D. Carroll of St. Paul Park for $55,833. It features polished granite columns supporting triple arches at the entrance. The interior is decorated with wainscoting, oak woodwork, tiled fireplaces, etched glass, paneled doors, and marble flooring.[4]

History

The construction of the Waseca County Courthouse embodies a surge of effort to relocate the county's seat of government. With Waseca County's organization in 1857, Wilton had been given county seat status. A decade later, however, the Winona and St. Peter Railroad opted to route their tracks 4 miles (6.4 km) north of Wilton through the unassuming town of Waseca. Efforts to move the county seat to the suddenly booming town culminated in a popular vote during the 1870 election. The proposal passed and the county's records and courthouse furniture were moved that very night to a new facility in Waseca, which opened for business the following day. This facility was replaced by the current courthouse in 1897.[3]

See also

References
  1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
  2. "Waseca County Courthouse". Minnesota National Register Properties Database. Minnesota Historical Society. 2009. Retrieved 2015-06-19.
  3. Korsmo-Kennon, Peggy; Jan Brown (1982-05-01). "National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Waseca County Courthouse". National Park Service. Retrieved 2016-01-06. Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  4. "Waseca County Courthouse History". Minnesota Judicial Branch. Retrieved 2016-02-12.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.