A Brick Contract. Gregg & Griswold, of this city (Chaska), have been awarded the contract to furnish Brisbee & Bardwell 246,000 brick, for the new McLeod county court house. The commissioners of that county have let the contract for the building of a court house 38x70 feet to Messrs. Brisbe & Bordwell, of Minneapolis, for the sum of $10,000. (The Weekly Valley Herald, Thursday, June 8, 1876, Page 4)
McLeod County Courthouse, 830 11th St. E., Glencoe. Beaux Arts brick-and-stone courthouse designed by Frank W. Kinney and built in 1909 in front of 1876 brick courthouse designed by Bisbee and Bardwell. (National Register of Historic Places in MN)
In 1873 L. C. Bisbee and C. S. Bardwell built a sash, door and blind factory on the east side, in the vicinity of where the Pillsbury “A” mill now stands. In 1876 the building burned and they moved to the West side and erected their factory, locating on First street and Twelfth avenue south, and Mr. P. P. Eddy came into the firm, and the firm name became Bisbee, Bardwell & Co. In 1877 Mr. S. C. Robinson bought out Mr. Bisbee, and the firm became Bardwell, Robinson & Co. (History of Minneapolis Minnesota, Part II, Isaac Atwater, Munsell & Company, New York, 1893, Page 642)
Lewis C. Bisbee (born June 7, 1834 in Maine)
Charles S. Bardwell
S. C. Robinson (born March 1, 1831, in New Jersey)
Sumers C. Robinson (born 1831 and died July 18, 1903, in Minneapolis)
3 men were carpenters and builders
Pascal P. Eddy (born November 22, 1830, in Massachusetts)
The honorable County Board are now in session at the Auditor’s office, considering the matter of a plan for the Court House. The only plan that we have seen is the one drawn by Messrs. Bisbee & Bardwell, of Minneapolis, and we are confident that it will be hard to present another that will be more generally satisfactory. It shows the building to be 48x70 feet on the ground; the first story to be 11 feet high, and the lower floor divided into six rooms, as follows: 2 jury rooms, each 17x28 ½; Auditor’s room, 17x19 ½; Treasurer’s room, 17x20; room for Register of Deeds, 16x17; room for Clerk of Court and Judge of Probate, 16x17. A hall, 12 feet wide, extends through the whole length of the building. There are to be 2 vaults, one between the Auditor’s and Register’s offices, and the other between the Treasurer’s and Clerk of Court’s offices, with entrances from each; each vault to be 8x17 on the outside. The upper story will be finished for a court room, 45 1/2x57 ½ feet, with platform or judge’s bench at the rear end of the hall. The ceilings for this room will be 18 feet high. The entrance will be by two flights of broad stairs leading from either side of the front entrance. Over the stairs is to be a third jury or committee room, 10 1/2x31 ½. If this plan is finally adopted, and the building constructed according to it, it will be, in the first place, a symmetrical and tasty-looking structure on the out side, as well as very commodious in its internal arrangements. We hope the Board, in advertising for bids, will not fail to require proposals for building with brick, as well as with wood. We understand that the cost of this building, built of brick, will not exceed more than $1,500 the cost of the same built with wood. If this is true, it seems to us that the County will save money in the end by building of brick. The cost of keeping a wooden building in repair, will soon eat up the extra $1,500. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, May 11, 1876, Page 3)
The contract was awarded to Messrs. Bisbee & Bardwell, to build with brick for $9,275. The walls of the building are to be 29 feet high, and the building is to be 48x70 feet on the ground; the lower story 11 feet between joints, and the upper story 18 feet, the hall for the court room to be about 46x60 feet. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, June 8, 1876, Page 3)
It is definitely settled that McLeod county is to have a Court House. In a recent number of the Register we gave a description of the building. It will contain ample room for all the county offices, and large fire-proof vaults for the safe keeping of the records, &c., and now we have the pleasure of announcing that the building is to be constructed of brick, in a central part of the village, where it will be easy of access for all having business with our county offices, at a cost to the county of only about $8,000, Glencoe having donated $2,500. We think the action of our County Board in this matter will meet with general approval. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, June 8, 1876, Page 3)
Men are employed in building the foundation for the Court House and the lumber is being delivered on the ground. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, July 6, 1876, Page 3)
Lyman, you must make closer joints on the Court House, or the Board of County Commissioners will come down on you. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, July 27, 1876, Page 3)
The Court House, which is as far as we have any knowledge, will be the first brick building ever built in McLeod county, is rapidly progressing. Mr. L. Nobles, of Chaska, is doing the brick work. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, July 27, 1876, Page 3)
The masons suspended work on the Court House last Saturday morning, until a better quality of brick could be supplied for the outside of the building. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, August 17, 1876, Page 3)
The Court House has not grown in statue any during the past week. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, August 24, 1876, Page 3)
The walls of the Court House are done, ready for the roof, which will be put on as soon as the weather will permit. The masons are now at work building the vaults. That Court House, when completed, will be a fine looking structure, and will be a credit to the county. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, September 21, 1876, Page 3)
The roof is being put upon the Court House this week. The vaults are done and are proof against fire. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, October 5, 1876, Page 3)
The Court House begins to show what it will look like when done. The partitions are up, and the lathing most done. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, October 19, 1876, Page 3)
The contract for building the Court House was awarded to Messrs Bisbee, Bardwell & Co. of Minneapolis, and they agreed to have it ready for occupation by the 10th of November, but the long spell of wet weather which we had during the month of September so retarded the mason work that the contractors barely succeeded in getting the court room done for the November term. During the progress of the work Mr. Bisbee sold his interest in the firm and the job was finished by Bardwell, Robinson & Co. Messrs. Gregg & Griswold, of Chaska, furnished the brick; the brick work and did it well. The carpenter work, and in fact all the work upon the building from the foundation stone to the last finishing touch has been done under the watchful supervision of Mr. H. J. Bowman. The plastering was done by Mr. Moses Quantice of Chaska, and we do not hesitate to say that a better job never was done in McLeod county. Mr. George Gray of Minneapolis, did the painting and glazing, and has left, for the inspection of the citizens of McLeod County a style of painting and graining that commends him as a thorough master of his business. We cannot close this article without complimenting Messrs. Bardwell, Robinson & Co. on the faithful manner in which they have executed their work. We look in vain for any indication on their part of a disposition to slight any portion of the work. While they have used the best material in the construction of the building, they have used it in a faithful and workmanlike manner. We have seldom or never known of a contract being completed that has given such universal satisfaction. Everybody is pleased and McLeod county now has a Court House of which the citizens may justly be proud. (The Glencoe Register, Thursday, December 14, 1876, Page 3)