Future Unclear for Washington County's Historic Courthouse

Washington County commissioners say they are striving to find a happy medium between preserving the Stillwater's historic courthouse and making the building available for community events and touring visitors.

The county board discussed options for the building’s future use at a meeting Sept. 27.

The building at Pine and Third streets in Stillwater was completed in 1870, and was the seat of county business for more than a century.

Since official county business was moved from the building with the completion of the government center, the building has been open to historical exhibits and community events. Some portions of the building are leased to businesses, but the major use of the building in recent years has been rental for weddings and other private celebrations.

The historic courthouse was used as wedding venue 113 times in 2015, up from 55 weddings in 2011, according to a news release. To cut down on the time that county employees spent managing the weddings, the county partnered with a private company to manage the wedding rentals in 2016. What the county learned from that experience is that the weddings with receptions at the courthouse were both staff and time intensive, and that the building really is not outfitted well to host wedding receptions. Significant damage as well as general wear and tear on the building caused the county to question the role that wedding rentals play at the courthouse.

Earlier this year, it was decided that no new bookings would be accepted for weddings, but that the county will honor any bookings already made for 2016 and 2017. This was to give the county an opportunity to reassess the use of the building for private rentals.

With that in mind, the county board discussed options for the future use of the building Sept. 27. The commissioners stated throughout the discussion that preservation of the building for future generations is their main goal.

Several options for use of the building were discussed. If the county were to continue to rent the building for wedding ceremonies and receptions, staffing needs would increase, and so would capital investments, officials say. The building’s reception hall, kitchen, and other facilities would need upgrading.

The county would also have to consider revising its policies on alcohol, insurance, and catering. With more weddings, the building would have a limited schedule for community events and tours.

The county could also maintain its current moratorium on new private bookings, and consider no private rentals in the future. The building would primarily be open for tours, public events, and exhibits.

The county commissioners expressed their commitment to maintaining the building as a community gathering place, regardless of how many private rentals occur in the building.

County staff will continue to research how the Historic Courthouse offerings fit into the wedding market in the St. Croix Valley, and gather more information on the costs and benefits of the options discussed with the county board.

It is anticipated that the board will be able to set a new direction for the use of the historic courthouse in summer 2017, officials say.

Image via Richie Diesterheft, Flickr, used under Creative Commons