Codington County is named for the Reverend G S Codington, who was circuit preacher.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Day County and Grant County
E – Grant County and Deuel County
S – Hamlin County
W – Clark County
Created: February 15, 1877
County Seat:
Kampeska 1878
Watertown 1878 – present
County Courthouse – Watertown
Location: 14 1st Avenue SE / Broadway
Built: 1928 – 1929
Style: Neo-Classical and Renaissance
Architect: Freed and Perkins & McWayne
Contractor: Gray Construction Company of Watertown
Description: The building faces north and is a three story gray colored stone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Watertown. There are stone columns rising from the second to third stories. The roof line is flat. Richly finished in marble and gold leaf, the interior is one of the most ornate of any courthouse in the state. The rotunda is the most striking interior feature, with its intricate colored glass dome. Nearby are two large murals, one representing “Justice and Power” and the other “Wisdom and Mercy,” painted by Vincent Aderente of New York City. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the second story. A second courtroom is being constructed in the basement. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 3rd Judicial Circuit and the County Magistrate Court.
See: The contractor, Gray Construction Company of Watertown also constructed courthouses in Clark County, Douglas County, Edmunds County, Faulk County, Hamlin County, Hyde County, Sully County and Walworth County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Codington County Courthouse
See: The 3rd Judicial Circuit includes Beadle County, Brookings County, Clark County, Deuel County, Grant County, Hamlin County, Hand County, Jerauld County, Kingsbury County, Lake County, Miner County, Moody County and Sanborn County.
History: The county was created in 1877 and Kampeska was selected as the county seat in 1878. The county seat was moved to Watertown in 1878 and the county offices were located at various locations including the Goss Hall and a Heegard and Company building in Watertown. The first courthouse was designed by Charles A Dunham and built in 1883 to 1884. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1928 to 1929 at a cost of S375,000.
County Courthouse – Watertown
County Circuit Court courtroom
Photos taken 2007, 2009, 2018 and 2026
Images 26*