Ramsey County History – Spring 1981: “The City Hall-County Courthouse and Its First Fifty Years”

The City Hall-County Courthouse and Its First Fifty Years
Author: Dane Smith

Ramsey County’s first courthouse went up in the 1850s near Rice Park. It was made of brick with a tower and a clock. It served until 1889, when it was replaced by a grand building designed by St. Paul architect Edward Bassford. Made of limestone, its clock tower rose to 260 feet. Thirty-five years later, the building was judged to be obsolete and the council said the governmental function of the new building should be paramount. Instead of having a design competition, architects were hired to prepare the plans for the new building. The Great Depression lowered the building’s cost, permitting the use of decorative materials “of unparalleled opulence,” including rare woods from all over the world. The council also wanted a contemporary building, so they chose the reigning Art Deco style. The new City Hall-County Courthouse opened in 1932.
PDF of Smith article