In 1920, a local construction crew along with their team of horses put the finishing touches on the Crow Wing County Courthouse. Since then, it has stood the test of time situated on Laurel Street in downtown Brainerd for 100 years.

Courthouse construction was completed with the total amount costing around $280,000, which according the consumer price index calculator, would amount to around $3.8 million in today’s U.S. dollars.

Some interesting facts about both the original structure and building process are as follows:

• Horses used to help crews dig the foundation for the building along with slip scrapers, which was a common tool for the time.
• Pipes ran underground to carry steam to the county jail for heating, which is now the Crow Wing County Historical Museum and Library.
• The heating and ventilation system was modern for the time, consisting of a coal room able to hold four cars of coal, an ash room with a hoist for carrying up the ashcans, two Kewanee boilers, and a condensation pump.
• The original marble floors, base, and wainscoting throughout the inside of the courthouse hold its character to this day.

Court hearings are no longer heard in the Grand Courtroom on the third floor, though the Crow Wing County board meetings and other meetings are held there on a regular basis.

By — Brad Hamilton