Minnehaha County - American Courthouses

Minnehaha County is named for the native American word meaning “river waterfall”.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Lake County and Moody County

E – Rock County, Minnesota

S – Lyon County, Iowa, Lincoln County and Turner County

W – McCook County

Created: April 5, 1862

County Seat:

Sioux Falls 1868 – present

County Courthouse – Sioux Falls

Location: 425 North Dakota Avenue / West 5th Street

Built: 1995 – 1996

Style: Modern High Rise

Architect: Elizabeth Squyer of Architecture Inc. of Sioux Falls

Contractor: Henry Carlson Company of Sioux Falls

Description: The building faces southeast and is a six story pinkish colored concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Sioux Falls. There are large square windows on the first and second stories. The third to sixth stories have vertical concrete dividers and narrow vertical windows. The building faces southeast and has a central four sized glass tower with dark glass dome. The roof line is flat. In the interior there is an atrium rising from the entrance to the sixth story. Around the atrium, there are four courtrooms each on the third, fourth, fifth and sixth stories. The courtrooms A and D on the north and south ends have windows. The courtrooms B are the largest is size. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 2nd Judicial District and the County Magistrate Court. A major expansion was completed in 2009. The architect was Architecture Inc. and the contractor was Henry Carlson Company of Sioux Falls.

Old County Courthouse – Sioux Falls

Location: 200 West 6th Street / Main Street

Built: 1889 – 1893

Style: Romanesque Revival

Architect: Wallace L Dow

Contractor: Sioux Falls Granite Company

Description: The building faces east and is a four story red-brown colored Sioux Quartzite stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Sioux Falls to the southeast of the courthouse. The building has granite pillars, stained glass windows and tiled fireplaces. There is a high square clock tower above the east entrance. The interior has a large courtroom on the second story rising to the third story. The north wall boasts an oriel encasing the stairwell. The furnishings are a light colored oak.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Old Minnehaha County Courthouse

Note: The courthouse is the oldest courthouse in South Dakota. The oldest courthouse still in use is located in Fall River County.

County Administration Building – Sioux Falls

Location: 415 North Dakota Avenue / West 6th Street

Built: 1960 – 1961

Style: Modern

Architect: Howard Parezo & Associates

Contractor: Henry Carlson Company of Sioux Falls

Description: The building faces east and is a three story white colored concrete structure with a crescent shape. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Sioux Falls to the south of the courthouse. The roof line is flat. The building served as the county courthouse until 1996 and now houses the county administration.

See: The 2nd Judicial Circuit includes Lincoln County.

History: The county was created in 1862 and Sioux Falls was selected as the county seat in 1868 when the county was organized. The county rented premises until the first courthouse was constructed in 1889 to 1893. The second courthouse was contracted in 1960 to 1961. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1995 to 1996.