Wright County Courthouse - Buffalo, MN
Posted by: FSU*Noles
N 45° 10.441 W 093° 52.642
15T E 431059 N 5002656
This is the Wright County Government Center, home of the Wright County Courthouse, serving Minnesota's 10th Judicial District!
Waymark Code: WM3F1N
Location: Minnesota, United States
Date Posted: 03/26/2008
Views: 135
Minnesota's Tenth District is composed of eight counties, with over 40 district judges serving the area, and is the second largest of Minnesota's ten judicial districts. Each county seat in the district has a courthouse, and this location serves Wright County with six separate courtrooms.
The history of this location dates back to 1867, when Buffalo successfully obtained the title of county seat after a failed attempt five years earlier. The second time, the offer of a courthouse rent-free for five years apparently convinced voters to approve the change. At the end of the rent-free period, the county bought the two story, 24 by 36 foot frame building called the Samsell house for $900.
Five years later, in 1878, Wright County built a two-story square brick courthouse with mansard roof and elaborate domed tower in the current French Second Empire style. Bisbee Bardwell of Minneapolis designed it and it was built at a cost of $27,634. However, the high interest of the bonds brought the grand total to $105,000.
The first section of the current courthouse was completed in June 1959. It has a low, flat curtain-wall of steel and glass on a stone veneered foundation. Patch and Erickson of Minneapolis designed the building that was built by the Geo. Madsen Construction Co. at a cost of $655,000. Three other buildings have followed in an effort to keep pace with the growing county population. In 1971, a $797,599 addition was built, in 1974, a $700,000 addition, and in 1980, a four-story, brown, steel-paneled rectangular block was built for $1.9 million to house social services offices.
Year Built: 1959
Current Use of Building: Courthouse, and other government services
Level of Courts: County
Architect: Patch and Erickson of Minneapolis
Dates this building was used to house judicial proceedings: 1867-present
Physical Address: 10 Second Street NW
Buffalo, MN 55313
Hours: Monday - Friday 8:00am - 4:30pm
Related Website: [Web Link]
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