Wilkin County is named after Colonel Alexander Wilkin, a lawyer who served as Minnesota’s United States Marshall and who was later killed during the Civil War.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Clay County
E – Otter Tail County and Grant County
S – Traverse County
W – Richland County, North Dakota
Created: March 6, 1868
County Seat:
Breckenridge 1868 – present
County Courthouse – Breckenridge
Location: 300 South Fifth Street / Dakotah Avenue
Built: 1928 – 1929
Style: Beaux Arts and Art Deco
Architect: Buechner and Orth of Saint Paul
Contractor: Redlinger & Hanson
Description: The building faces west and is a three story Bedford stone, buff colored brick, limestone, concrete and steel structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds on the south side of the center of Breckenridge. Broad steps lead up to the west side main entrance. Double bronze doors are surmounted by a transom window, a stone cornice supported by flanking pilasters, and a carved stone eagle. There is a covered, rear basement-level entrance and another basement (ground floor) entrance on the north side. Closely spaced windows, separated by raised brick pilasters capped by stone, puncture the walls on all sides and levels of the courthouse. The corner, top floor windows are surmounted by decorative garlands. Similar trim is found above the paired pilasters flanking the main entrance. A double-wide window above the entrance is set in a segmental arched opening. The original windows were replaced when dropped ceilings were installed. The window alterations were tastefully done; the effect is not unattractive. Between the first and second floor windows, polychrome ceramic flowers decorate recessed brick panels. The floral motif is repeated in the decorated frieze in the cornice above the windows on all four facades. The interior has a central dome with geometrically divided stained glass skylight. The surrounding murals above the second-floor columned loggia depict early Wilkin County. The terrazzo floors and the pink colored Tennessee marble wainscoting on a base of Italian marble are original. An inscription carved across the central parapet reads: “To None Will We Delay, To None Will We Deny, Right and Justice”. The large County District Court courtroom is located on the north side of the third story. The building houses the County District Court of the 8th Judicial District. On the east side is a one story addition. The architect was Klein McCarthy & Company and the contractor was Comstock Construction Inc.
See: The architect Buechner & Orth of St. Paul, Minnesota designed many courthouses.
See: National; Register of Historic Places – Wilkin County Courthouse
See: The 8th Judicial District includes Big Stone County, Chippewa County, Grant County, Kandiyohi County, Lac Qui Parle County, Meeker County, Pope County, Renville County, Stevens County, Swift County, Traverse County and Yellow Medicine County.
History: The county was created in 1868 and Breckenridge was designated as the county seat. The first courthouse was a frame building used in 1872 which burned in 1883. The second courthouse was built in 1883 and burned in 1924. The cost of construction in 1928 to 1929 of the third and present courthouse was $203,492.
County Courthouse – Breckenridge
County District Court courtroom
County Courthouse Annex – Breckenridge
Photos taken 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2018
Images 23*