Foster County is named for either James S Foster of Mitchell, South Dakota (1828-1870) or his brother George I Foster of Fargo, North Dakota (1837-1912), both who were prominent in territorial affairs.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Eddy County
E – Griggs County
S – Stutsman County
W – Wells County
Created: January 4, 1873 
County Seat:
Carrington 1883 – present
County Courthouse – Carrington
Location: 1000 5th Street North / 10th Avenue North
Built: 1909 – 1910
Style: Beaux Arts
Architect: Buechiner & Orth of St. Paul, Minnesota
Contractor: Alex Nelson of Perham, Minnesota
Description: The building faces south and is a three story buff colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds on the north side of the center of Carrington. The building has a raised basement. The south entrance section projects from the main building, combines single columns, flanking brick pilasters, and a simple arched entry surrounded on the front facade and rises to a pediment. The basement has brown colored brick. Rectangular windows throughout the building have keystoned flat arches on the second floor and simple stone lentils between single brick pilasters on the third floor. The building has a large octagonal dome with silver colored roof on the center of the roof. Bull’s-eye apertures pierce the cardinal points of the dome itself, which is topped with a crown and ball finial. The interior features a gray-brown colored marble wainscoting in the front entry. The County District Court courtroom with richly decorated coffered ceiling and wall stenciling is located on the west side of the third story..The building houses the County District Court of the Southeast Judicial District. On the north side of the courthouse is the two story buff colored brick Sheriff Residence.
See: The architect Buechiner & Orth of St. Paul, Minnesota designed many courthouses.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Foster County Courthouse
See: The Southeast Judicial District includes Barnes County, Dickey County, Eddy County, Griggs County, Kidder County, LaMoure County, Logan County, McIntosh County, Ransom County, Richland County, Sargent County, Stutsman County and Wells County.
History: The county was created in 1873. Carrington became the county seat in 1883 when the county was organized. The county rented office space in the McLain Building. The first courthouse was a two story structure built in 1887. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1909 to 1910.
County Courthouse – Carrington
County District Court courtroom
Sheriff Residence – Carrington
Photos taken 2007, 2010 and 2018