Historic Courthouse Open House

A note from Washington County.

As part of the Partners in Preservation program, the Washington County Historic Courthouse will be host to an Open House that will feature a “Nooks and Crannies” tour presented on that day only.

Courthouse staff will take visitors to areas of the building that are typically not open to the public, including the Sheriff’s residence, former county offices in the basement, the old jail, and the spectacular dome overlooking the St. Croix River and the fabulous fall colors.

The Washington County Historic Courthouse in Stillwater is in the running to be the recipient of a Partners in Preservation grant from American Express and the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

Beginning Sept. 20, 25 eligible historic places in the Twin Cities seven-county metro area will compete for a total of $1 million in preservation grants. For three weeks, from Sept. 20 until midnight on Oct. 12, the public is invited to vote daily on Facebook for the places they would like to see receive preservation funding and to share their personal stories and photos of the 25 sites. Each person can vote once daily for any of the 25 historic places. The winner of the public vote is guaranteed to receive a grant and will be announced on Oct. 13. The voting site is at Facebook.com/PartnersinPreservation.

The courthouse at the corner of Third Street South and Pine in Stillwater represents a classic example of adaptive re-use of an historic site, and is included in the National Register of Historic Places.

The county moved out of the structure to the new Government Center in 1975 and plans were underway for an adaptive re-use of the old building. As the building was restored, a new vision for this architectural gem was developed which included history-related exhibits and activities, a private rental venue for weddings and special events, and office space. The Historic Courthouse is now part of Washington County Parks.

Restoration of the building continues, and the most pressing needs, which would be completed with a grant from Partners in Preservation grant, would be soffit and fascia repair around the entire building and decorative railing repair and replacement.

Launched in 2006, Partners in Preservation is a program in which American Express, in partnership with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, has awarded $5.5 million over a five-year period toward preserving select historic places throughout the United States. A special advisory committee made up of Twin Cities civic and preservation leaders will review the public's votes along with each site's monetary and preservation needs to determine how the $1 million in preservation grants will be awarded. These grants will be announced on Nov. 15. But the key to the program is that supporters of the Historic Courthouse log in to Facebook and vote for the Historic Courthouse, each day, every day until Oct. 12.

The courthouse is open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., or after hours and weekends by appointment. Call 651-275-7075.