Stillwater celebration planned for Historic Courthouse makeover Skip to content
An older brick building on a small hill.
A photo showing the newly renovated dome and cupola on the Washington County Historic Courthouse in Stillwater. A grand reopening celebration of the courthouse, which recently underwent extensive renovations, will be June 8, 2024. (Courtesy of Washington County)
Mary Divine
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The grand reopening celebration of the Historic Courthouse in Stillwater, which recently underwent extensive renovations, will be June 8.

The event, which begins at 10 a.m., will include speakers and a ribbon-cutting ceremony. From 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., staff from Washington County Parks will provide educational programming and activities.

A historic building with tall cupola all surrounded by scaffolding and tarps.
Contractors work on scaffolding wrapped in debris containment netting as they restore the exterior of the Washington County Historic Courthouse in Stillwater on Oct. 19, 2023. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)

The courthouse was closed for almost a year as it underwent a massive $4.5 million exterior restoration that included replacing the roof; repairing the cupola and dome; repairing and replacing deteriorated bricks and mortar; waterproofing the foundation; and installing new downspouts, among other work.

It was the second major shutdown for the courthouse in recent years. It abruptly closed in June 2022 for several months when crews discovered a fracture in one of the heavy timber trusses holding up the roof of the 1870 building.

Regular hours of operation for the Historic Courthouse, located at 101 W. Pine St., are 9 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday and 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday-Sunday.

For more information about the Historic Courthouse, including tour and rental information, go to www.co.washington.mn.us/2204/Historic-Courthouse, call 651-275-7075 or email parks@co.washington.mn.us.