Haakon County is named for King Haakon VII of Norway.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Ziebach County
E – Stanley County and Jones County
S – Jackson County
Created: November 1, 1914
County Seat:
Philip 1916 – present
County Courthouse – Philip
Location: 140 South Howard Street / Oak Street
Built: 1930 – 1931
Style: Art Deco and Prairie
Architect: Perkins & McWayne of Sioux Falls
Contractor: S W Jonasen & Company of Aberdeen
Description: The building faces west and is a three story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Philip. On the west front the stone framed entrance extends from the building. There is stone trim along the roofline. The roof line is flat. Over the main door, the lintel is etched with “To the Pioneers of Haakon County this Building is Dedicated.” The corners of the large door surround are carved into sharply-fluted columns with capitals of multi-angled motif like a series of fans or sunbursts. Leading to the main entrance, there is mosaic tile laid into the top landing. In the interior, the Deco details start immediately in the entryway with the walls having tall, gray polished marble wainscot and a ceiling edged in bands of angled triangular plaster panels with scrolled/floral relief patterns. The stone and plaster detailing continue through the main public lobbies and central stairs on each floor, except for the use of wood wainscoting on the courtroom floor. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the third story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 6th Judicial Circuit and the County Magistrate Court.
See: The 6th Judicial Circuit includes Bennett County, Gregory County, Hughes County, Hyde County, Jackson County, Jones County, Lyman County, Mellette County, Potter County, Stanley County, Sully County, Todd County and Tripp County.
History: The county was created in 1914 and Philip was selected as the county seat in 1916 after the county was organized in 1915. The county used rented premises. The first and present courthouse was constructed in 1930 to 1931.
County Courthouse – Philip
County Circuit Court courtroom
Commission Minutes
Photos taken 2010 and 2015
Images 12*