Friday, November 11, 2016

Old Hennepin County Courthouse



I recently had occasion to drive to Minneapolis for an appointment and snapped these photos of the former Hennepin County Courthouse


Location:  350 South 5th Street / 4th Avenue
Built:  1888 – 1905
Style:  Richardsonian Romanesquen
Architect:  Franklin Bidwell Long and Francis Kees
Contractor:  C F Haglin & Sons

Description:  The building faces south and is a four story brown colored carnelian granite  structure. The south front has a high square stone tower. The building sits on the north side of a plaza with the new courthouse on the south side. The spacious rotunda houses the statue of the “Father of Waters,” a colossal work of sculptor Larkin Goldsmith Mead, who carved the statue while residing in Florence, Italy. The building was the former courthouse. and now services as the Minneapolis City Hall.

Note:  The first courthouse was built in 1857.

14 comments:

  1. Beautiful building. Like an elaborate sand castle!

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  2. I remember this well. I worked not far from here when in high school. Nice photos of a grand old building!

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  3. The old courthouse is an impressive structure Kate, well maintained too.. the green roof tiles were a bit of a surprise, they suit the brickwork very well. I wonder if it's quite a normal feature of the Richardsonian Romanesque style of architecture.. off to Google now 😊

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  4. I'm so glad you have posted these pictures. I absolutely love this building. It's like a giant sculpture or work of art.

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  5. This is such an impressive building!

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  6. How fine that it is still in use as a government building.

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  7. A beautiful and impressive building.

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  8. I have always thought that was a great looking building. Good shots.

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  9. As they say "they don't build them like this anymore". Beautiful.
    I was wondering if there is a big rivalry between the twin cities? There certainly is between Dallas and Ft. Worth. One of our Ft. Worth dignitaries always took a sack lunch when he had meeting in Dallas (so it is said)because he said he don't want to leave any money there.

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  10. I love the roof! So nice!

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  11. It reminds me of our Parliament buildings, though those are in the Gothic style.

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  12. That's quite a beautiful building. They don't make them like that anymore.

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  13. It is a beautiful building. Richardsonian Romanesque buildings have sure stood the test of time.

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