Winona County Courthouse. File photo.
In partnership with Winona County and the Winona County Historical Society, the City of Winona Heritage Preservation Commission is celebrating National Historic Preservation Month this month of May.
Preservation Month celebrates our nation’s heritage through historic places. The Preservation Commission selected the Winona County Courthouse to highlight the National Preservation month’s theme of “People Saving Places.”
Through the efforts of dedicated citizens of Winona County, the Courthouse was saved twice over the last 50 years from demolition attempts and survived an indoor flood. The majestic building was the first Courthouse in Minnesota to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places, having received that distinction on December 2, 1970.
The Courthouse was designed by the local architectural firm of C. G. Maybury and Son and dedicated in 1889. The Courthouse is a classic example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style featured in many public buildings of the 1880’s.
The building has operated as a Courthouse ever since it was built and is the longest continuously operating Courthouse west of the Mississippi River. To honor the countless people whose contributions, big and small, keep the work of historic preservation moving forward, a Courthouse Open House with a self-guided tour will be held on Saturday, May 21, 2022 from 11AM to 3PM.
Admission is free and all are welcome. The self-guided tour of the Courthouse will start at the public entrance to the Courthouse on 3rdStreet in the City of Winona. Free Courthouse Tour Guidebooks will be available to help visitors navigate the various “Learning Stations” about past and present aspects of the Courthouse’s functions.
Each Learning Station will be staffed by volunteer guides who can answer questions and help direct guests to other Learning Stations. A tour of the outside of the Courthouse will also be available during the Open House.
The 2022 Courthouse Open House is made possible by the donation of countless hours of time and talents of many dedicated County and Court staff, Preservation Commission members, and our community volunteers. Please check out the Facebook event page for the May 21, 2022 Courthouse Open House for more information.
(Winona County Attorney’s Office)
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