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'Nooks and Crannies Tour' at Historic Courthouse
Volunteers and will be leading tours of areas in the Washington County Historic Courthouse 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 7.
The tour will include areas that are typically closed to the public, including the Sheriff’s residence, basement, archives, and the dome on the top of the building.
When the building was completed in 1870, a Sheriff’s residence was part of the structure. Sheriffs and their families lived onsite from 1870 until 1962. Visitors will have a chance to see where the sheriff lived and learn about the sheriff’s wife and her many duties. The Sheriff’s residence is now rented for private office space and generally unavailable for tours.
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Before the county moved its administrative offices to the new Government Center, it was forced to house several offices in the dark, dank, limestone, barrel-vaulted basement as the county had outgrown this site. Visitors will have a chance to walk through the basement and see the old cistern, office space, and several vaults that have been removed from the building.
While the jail addition (1900-1975) is regularly open for tours, the upper portion of the original jail (1870-1900) is now being used as an archival storage area. See the small jail cells where prisoners were held and the archival collections of the courthouse.
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The dome is reached by a steep, narrow staircase and offers fabulous views of Stillwater, the river and the St. Croix Valley. With the fall colors appearing, this will be a wonderful opportunity to get a bird’s eye view of the area.
Participants in the tours must be ambulatory, able to bend and climb and to tolerate close spaces. Due to the nature of the tour, it is not handicapped accessible. There is a suggested donation of $3 for adults and $1 for children.
The courthouse is at 101 W. Pine St. in Stillwater.
For more information, call 651-275-7075, see www.co.washington.mn.us/hc or e-mail historiccourthouse@co.washington.mn.us
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