Faribault County is named for Jean Baptiste Faribault, who was the first white settler to farm in Minnesota and was a major figure in trade with the Dakotas from 1830 to 1860.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Blue Earth County and Waseca County
E – Freeborn County
S – Winnebago County, Iowa and Kossuth County, Iowa
W – Martin County
Created: February 20, 1855 
County Seat:
Blue Earth 1855 – present
County Courthouse – Blue Earth
Location: 415 North Main Street / West 4th Street
Built: 1891 – 1892
Style: Romanesque
Architect: C S Dunham of Burlington, Iowa
Contractor: S J Hoban of Saint Paul
Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored brick and stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Blue Earth. The stone for the high base is rusticated limestone from the Kasota quarry. At the southeast corner is a seven story tower. The roof is clay tile, decorations are terra cotta, and columns on the tower and loggia above the double arched east front entrance are made of granite. The Syrian arches of the entrance rest on squat columns with foliated capitals. A gargoyle in the form of a satyr’s head was placed above and between the arches. In the interior is golden oak woodwork and stained glass transoms. There is a spiral stair in the rear tower. The County District Court courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the County District Court of the 5th Judicial District. A west wing was added in 1974. In 2017 to 2018, the building was renovated. The architect was I&S Group and the contractor was Met-Con Construction and Ankeny Builders.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Faribault County Courthouse
See: The 5th Judicial District includes Blue Earth County, Brown County, Cottonwood County, Jackson County, Lincoln County, Lyon County, Martin County, Murray County, Nicolett County, Nobles County, Pipestone County, Redwood County, Rock County and Watonwan County.
History: The county was created in 1858 and Blue Earth was selected as the county seat. The court met at several locations until the first courthouse was built in 1872 at a cost of $5,000. The courthouse was a two story brick structure and was razed when the second and present courthouse was constructed in 1891 to 1892 at a cost of $70,000. The cost of construction of the west wing was $485,000.
County Courthouse – Blue Earth
County District Court courtroom
Photos taken 2007 and 2017