Courthouse 1889

Courthouse 1889

The Winona County Courthouse was constructed in 1888 at a cost of $100,000. The Richardsonian Romanesque building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1970 for having local significance in the themes of architecture, art, and politics/government.

Henry Richardson was an American architect, best known for his work in a style that became known as Richardsonian Romanesque. It was nominated for being an artistic manifestation of Winona's prosperous riverboat and logging era. It was built during the romantic era of the riverboat with logging and sawmills. The building is a representation of the aspirations and hopes of the community during this period It was the first courthouse in Minnesota listed on the National Register.

In September of 2000, the courthouse experienced a plumbing failure that caused significant damage to the interior. Nearly five million dollars has been invested to repair and update the damage. Today, the courthouse is fully restored and back to being used for daily use for Winona county affairs.