Sibley County | US Courthouses

Sibley County is named for General Henry Hastings Sibley, an early pioneer, governor and military defender of the state. He was the first Governor of Minnesota.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Renville County, McLead County and Carver County

E – Scott County and Le Sueur County

S – Nicolett County

W – Renville County

Created: March 5, 1853

County Seat:

Henderson 1853 – 1915

Gaylord 1915 – present

County Courthouse – Gaylord

Location: 400 Court Avenue / Harrison Street

Built: 1917 – 1918

Style: Classical Revival

Architect: James A Burner and William H Macomber

Contractor: Olson & Johnson

Description: The building faces south and is a three story gray colored stone and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Gaylord. The south front has six columns rising from the second story to the top of the third story and they support a classic pediment and entablature above a high basement of horizontally-course stone. Large glass windows on two levels open the wall behind the columns. The building also has bronze entry doors and a stained-glass skylight in the dome above the three-story octagonal rotunda. Inside, the main office floor is marble-faced with four principal offices designated by bronze name plates on opposite angles of the octagon. The ceiling is coffered and enameled in soft gold and green colored designs, which blend with the colored marble decoration bordering the top of the walls. Two marble stairways rise to the second level and a narrow strip of ebony sets off light wood doors. The main County District Court courtroom is located on the north side of the second story. There is a smaller County District Court courtroom on the south side of the second story. The building houses the County District Court of the 1st Judicial District. The annex was built in 1974 on the west side of the courthouse. The architect Rieke-Carroll-Muller Associates and the contractor was Loeffel-Engstrand of Hopkins. On the east side is the County Jail built in 1916 with addition constructed in 1995.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Sibley County Courthouse

Old County Courthouse – Henderson

Location: 600 Main Street / 6th Street

Built: 1879 – 1880

Style: Italianate

Architect: Frank Barnard

Contractor: Local labor

Description: The building faces south and is a two story red colored brick, stone and wood Italianate style structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Henderson. The south front has a central entrance. The second story windows are arched. The hipped roof is truncated. The foundation is Kasota stone. The former courtroom is located at the second story and there is a large meeting room on the first story. The building serves as the City Hall.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Old Sibley County Courthouse (Henderson)

See: The 1st Judicial District includes Carver County, Dakota County, Goodhue County, Le Sueur County, McLeod County and Scott County.

History: The county was created in 1853 and Henderson was selected as the county seat, The first court met in Valley House in Henderson in 1855. The first courthouse was the Welch Building, a two story frame structure built by Henry Poehler in 1858 in Henderson at Main Street and 3rd Street. The building burned on October 18, 1863. The county used rented premises until 1879 when a two story brick structure was designed by Frank Barnard and built as the second courthouse at Main Street and 6th Street at a cost of $12,420 and is still standing. In 1915, the county seat was moved to Gaylord and the third and present courthouse was constructed in 1917 to 1918 at a cost of $147,490. The cost of the annex in 1974 was $652,369.