The Norman County Courthouse is a historic courthouse in

Ada, Minnesota Ada ( ) is a city in Norman County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 1,740 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat. Minnesota State Highways 9 and 200 are two of the main routes in the city. History Ada was laid out in 1874 a ...

. It is actually the second building in Ada used by the county government. In 1883 the first offices were in a two story building on the NE corner of the block the current courthouse sits on. The county rented the space from the village of Ada for $430/yr. After the new courthouse was built, the old building was moved three blocks north. This kicked off a three year row with

Twin Valley, Minnesota Twin Valley is a city in Norman County, Minnesota, United States, along the Wild Rice River. The population was 723 at the 2020 census. Minnesota State Highway 32 and County Highway 31 are two of the main routes in the community. Minnesota ...

determining which town would be the county seat. As Norman County grew in the 1880s, they were outgrowing their current space being used as a county courthouse in Ada and erecting a new building was on the horizon. At the time, Norman County was bigger than today with Twin Valley roughly at the geographic center. Starting in 1900, Twin Valley worked to rally support behind the goal of building the new courthouse there, turning it into the county seat as well. Two petitions and one vote later, Ada won the challenge. In 1906 it became a moot point when Mahnomen County was formed, shrinking Norman County and making Ada the geographic center. The new courthouse was designed in the Richardsonian Romanesque Revival style by

Omeyer & Thori Omeyer & Thori was an architectural partnership of Diedrik A. Omeyer (1850-1907) and Martin P. Thori (1864-1905). The two were immigrants from Norway. Headquartered in St Paul, a number of the firm's and its individual partners' works are listed ...

and completed in 1904. That firm and their partners have a number of their buildings in the Upper Midwest listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic ...

. Coming all the way from St. Paul, Olaf Swenson was the contractor and the new building was built for $50,637. Norman County Courthouse Soldiers' Memorial

Norman County Courthouse Soldiers' Memorial

A Soldiers’ Memorial was erected and dedicated on Memorial Day 1926. The monument consists of a bronze statue of a World War I soldier standing on a granite base on which is fastened a bronze tablet with the words:

"Lest We Forget In the Memory of the Norman County sons who gave their lives in the World War 1917-1919 This monument is dedicated"

Since its erection two more tablets have been installed, honoring those who gave their lives in World War II, Korea & Vietnam. In 1975 a 50’x80’ addition was built on the south side of the original 90’x90’ building. The Norman County Courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1983

References

{{National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota National Register of Historic Places in Norman County, Minnesota Richardsonian Romanesque architecture in Minnesota County courthouses in Minnesota Omeyer & Thori buildings