Renville County Courthouse and Jail

The Renville County Courthouse and Jail is a historic building located at 500 East DePue Avenue in Olivia, Minnesota, United States; the seat of Renville County. It was constructed in 1902.

Renville County Courthouse and Jail
Renville County Courthouse from the south
Renville County Courthouse and Jail is located in Minnesota
Renville County Courthouse and Jail
Renville County Courthouse and Jail is located in the United States
Renville County Courthouse and Jail
Map
Interactive map showing the location of Renville County Courthouse and Jail
LocationOlivia, Minnesota
Coordinates44°46′34″N 94°59′0″W / 44.77611°N 94.98333°W / 44.77611; -94.98333
Area2.54 acres (1.03 ha)
Built1902
ArchitectOrff, Fremont D. (courthouse architect); Kinney, Frank W. (jail architect); Olsen, O. H. (builder)
Architectural styleLate Victorian
NRHP reference No.86001281[1]
Added to NRHPJune 13, 1986
The courthouse from the southeast

The first courthouse in Renville County was built in Beaver Falls in 1872. It was originally built as a jail, at a cost of $2000. In 1889 a 40-by-60-foot (12 m × 18 m) wood-frame building was built, and the 1872 building was again used as the jail. In 1895 the city of Olivia won a battle to become the county seat, and court business was held in a local business building. A court decision returned the county seat to Beaver Falls for two years, but then Olivia finally won the county seat permanently in 1900. Architect Fremont D. Orff from Minneapolis designed the building, which was built at a cost of $88,000. The building has influences from a few different architectural styles. The corner pavilions and the central tower have segmented blue-green copper domes, suggesting Second Empire architecture. The center pavilion has a porch with balusters, fluted columns, and an oculus-pierced pediment, which reflects Georgian architecture.[2]

The courthouse and jail were added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 13, 1986.

References

edit
  1. ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. April 15, 2008.
  2. ^ "Building Location Details: Renville County Courthouse". Retrieved 2012-11-26.