La Crosse County | US Courthouses

La Crosse County is named for the native Indian game of “la crosse”.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Trempealeau County and Jackson County

E – Monroe County

S – Vernon County

W – Houston County, Minnesota and Winona County, Minnesota

Created: March 1, 1851

County Seat:

La Crosse 1851 – present

County Courthouse – La Crosse

Location: 333 Vine Street / 3rd Street North

Built: 1994 – 1997

Style: Modern

Architect: Dana Larson Roubal & Associates / DLR Group

Contractor: Market & Johnson, Inc.

Description: The building faces south and is a three story buff and red colored brick, concrete and glass structure. The building is located in the center of La Crosse. The south side has a projecting one story glass entrance. The windows are horizontal and the roof line is flat. In the interiot, the County Circuit Court courtrooms are located on the second story. In 2008 to 2011, an addition was added on the north side. The architect was Potter Lawson / River Architects and the contractor was Market & Johnson.

Old County Courthouse – La Crosse

Location: 412 6th Street North / Pine Street

Built: 1964 – 1965

Style: Modern

Architect: Hackner, Schroeder and Associates

Contractor: Peter Nelson & Son

Description: The building faces east and is a three story contemporary concrete and glass structure. The building is located in the center of La Crosse to the northeast of the courthouse. On the east side is a portico supported by concrete pillars. The windows form horizontal bands around the building. The roof line is flat. Until 1997, the building served as the courthouse. In 2016, the building was converted into housing and a fourth story was added.

See: The 7th Judicial District includes Adams County, Buffalo County, Clark County, Crawford County, Grant County, iowa County, Jackson County, Juneau County, Monroe County, Pepin County, Pierce County, Richland County, Trempealeau County and Vernon County.

History: The county was created in 1851 and La Crosse was designated as the county seat. The first courthouse was a two story wood frame structure. The courthouse was moved to Vine Street and 3rd Street when the second courthouse was designed by C J Ross and built by William Listman in 1867. The third courthouse was designed by Hugo Schick and Andrew Roth and constructed by Peter Nelson & Sons in 1903 to 1904. The fourth courthouse was constructed in 1964 to 1965. The fifth courthouse was constructed in 1994 to 1997.

Note: In the inside of the county courthouse built in 1903 to 1904, the dome, the grand staircase, and the County Circuit Court courtroom were decorated with murals that were primarily the work of A E Soderberg, the most talented painter employed by the Odin J Oyen interior design firm of La Crosse.

See: Odin J Oyen of La Crosse, Wisconsin painted murals in the courthouses located in Iowa - Osceola County: Michigan - Shiawassee County; Minnesota - Grant County; North Dakota - Cass County; South Dakota - Brown County and Yankton County; and Wisconsin – Lafayette County, Langlade County and Manitowoc County.

County Office Building – La Crosse

Location: 300 4th Street North / Vine Street

Built: 1987 – 1990

Style: Modern

Architect: HSR Associates, Inc. of Madison

Contractor: Fowler & Hammer, Inc. of La Crosse

Description: The building faces south and is a four story contemporary buff colored brick, concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of La Crosse to the east of the courthouse. The southwest side has a central entrance with semicircular projecting section. The windows are horizontal and the roof line is flat.