Beltrami County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Beltrami County Courthouse
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The Beltrami County Courthouse viewed from the southeast
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 Location in Minnesota
Location in the United States
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| Location | 619 Beltrami Avenue NW, Bemidji, Minnesota |
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| Area | Less than one acre |
| Built | 1902 |
| Built by | Schmidt Brothers |
| Architect | Kinney & Detweiler |
| Architectural style | Beaux-Arts |
| NRHP reference No. | 88000665 |
| Added to NRHP | May 26, 1988 |
The Beltrami County Courthouse is a historic government building located in Bemidji, Minnesota. It was built in 1902 and served as the main center for the government of Beltrami County. Today, many government offices are still located here. The building is special because it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. This means it's a very important building for its history, its beautiful architecture, and its role in local government. It's a great example of the Beaux-Arts style of building.
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What Does It Look Like?
The Beltrami County Courthouse is a three-story building made of red brick and sandstone. It's built in the Beaux-Arts style, which is a fancy way of saying it looks grand and classical, often with big columns and detailed decorations.
One of the coolest parts inside is its rotunda. This is a round, open space in the middle of the main hall on the first floor. It goes up through the second floor and into the dome at the top of the building. On the second floor, there's a railing with a brass guardrail that circles the rotunda.
Outside, a round dome sits on top of a tower. This tower has arches (curved openings) and is topped with a statue of blind Lady Justice. She holds a scale, which is a symbol of fairness and balance in the law.
How It Was Built
Beltrami County was officially started in 1897. Before the new courthouse, court meetings happened in a small, cold building. The county grew very quickly, and by 1902, people wanted a new, better courthouse.
On March 11, 1902, voters said "yes" to spending $50,000 to build a new jail and courthouse. Even though some people tried to stop the project, a judge allowed it to go forward. So, construction began!
The county already owned land for the new building. Architects Kinney & Detweiler from Minneapolis designed the courthouse. They planned a square building made of red sandstone and bricks from a local brickyard.
Schmidt Bros. won the bid to build it for $39,975. They promised the courthouse would be ready by December 1, 1902. While it was being built, a person named O. M. Jellestad spent 13 nights guarding important county records. This was because the old building's vault doors had been moved to the new courthouse! The county board of commissioners (the group that runs the county) approved the building on December 12, 1902. The first court meeting in the new building was held on January 3, 1903.
Later Years of the Courthouse
When the courthouse first opened, people walked up a double staircase to reach the courtroom. This courtroom took up half of the third floor. In 1937, it was made smaller to create more office space.
The Cold War Observation Point
The top part of the building, called the cupola (a small dome-like structure), was supposed to have a clock. But during the Cold War in the 1950s, it was used as an open-air observation point. Volunteers stood there, watching for any planes that weren't supposed to be flying over Bemidji. This area was later covered with glass.
Hidden Treasures Discovered
In 1971, the county auditor (a county official who checks financial records), Wayne Alsop, found a staircase leading to an attic. He and Jay Griggs explored it and found old things and written records. They found tax books from as far back as 1897! They also found the original scales that Lady Justice's statue used to hold. These had fallen during a storm in 1971 and were stored in the attic.
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New Judicial Center and Renovations
In 1973, construction began on a large new building next to the courthouse. This new building, called the Beltrami County Judicial Center, opened in 1974. It had two courtrooms, and all court staff moved there from the old courthouse. In 1976, the old courtroom in the historic building was turned into office space.
The old courthouse celebrated its 75th birthday (called a diamond jubilee) in 1977. Soon after, plans were made for a big remodeling project costing about $425,000.
On May 16, 1988, the building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2000, it got a $20,000 grant from the Minnesota Historical Society to help restore its stairs, pillars, and walls at the main entrance. This helped keep the beautiful old building looking great!
