The public square is to be utilized. The commissioners have selected it as the site for the new court-house. It is just the place for it, in our opinion. It is a convenient location, and if $25,000 or $30,000 is judiciously expended thereon in buildings of handsome design, that part of the street will be very attractive on account of it. No contractor must be allowed to make any money on the job. We want as fine buildings as can be built for the cash to be spent. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, April 6, 1881, Page 3)
The railroad company agree to haul stone from Faribault for the new courthouse for the reasonable price of $8 per car-load. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, April 27, 1881, Page 3)
An architect is perfecting plans for a new court house in Austin, Mower county. (Saint Paul Daily Globe, Friday, June 17, 1881, Page 1)
Mr. (W. H.) Dennis, an architect from Minneapolis, came before the Board with plans and specifications for the foundation and first floor. The ground plan was carefully examined, discussed, and adopted. Proposals for bids were immediately advertised for, and on the 10th, inst., the work of laying the foundation will be awarded. The plan is pronounced excellent. The first floor will be devoted to county offices and four large vaults for books and records. In a short time ground will be broken and the people of this county will see the beginning, at least, of the building which has so long been needed. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, August 3, 1881, Page 3)
Ground was broken for the foundations for the new county capitol the middle of last week, and dirt will fly rapidly now until everything is ready for the mason. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, September 7, 1881, Page 3)
The wet weather has greatly retarded work on the court house foundations. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, October 5, 1881, Page 3)
Every good day is well improved by Contractor Tubbs on the court-house foundation. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, October 26, 1881, Page 3)
W. H. Dennis leaves for Austin, Mower county, next week, where he will devote a few days to the work of preparing for the erection of the new court-house which he has designed. It is to be one of the largest and most imposing structures of the kind in the state, and is to be constructed of St. Louis pressed brick, and Ohio sandstone, with the basement of buff limestone. It will cost the county about $35,000, is to be four stories high and will be a monument to the architectural skill of Mr. Dennis. The building is to be surmounted by a tower 136 feet in height, and is located in the center of a public square. The interior finish will be in hard woods; there will be six large fire-proof rooms, and stone porches over each entrance. The court room, one of the largest in the state, will be 42x75 feet, and thirty feet high. The main corridor will be fifteen feet wide and 109 feet long and all stairways ten feet in width. Minneapolis Journal. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, February 8, 1882, Page 3)
Last Friday, H. J. Anderson, of Spring Valley, the architect in charge of our new court-house, came to Austin from Albert Lea, where he is erecting a $7,000 house for Wm. Morin. He says that no more work will be done on the court house this season on account of the scarcity of brick. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, August 30, 1882, Page 3)
Active operations on the new courthouse will commence in a few days. The cut stone are being hauled upon the ground. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, April 11, 1883, Page 3)
Last week Wednesday, Wm. Alsip, of the firm of Snow & Alsip, commenced work on the new court-house. He seems to be a rusher. It is a characteristic of the Alsips to rush. The old firm of “Alsip Brothers,” consisting of Wm. and A. H., can show a large number of fine buildings in different towns of Northern Iowa as monuments to their superior ability as builders. Of late years Wm. Alsip has been doing business in Chicago, and has the added experience attained by constant building in that wonderful and growing city. Mr. A. says his force of men numbers from 45 to 50. They all know their places, and, with the regularity of clock-work, perform their labors. No fooling - no playing - no talking. Mr. Alsip seems to be an admirable general, giving all his attention to the direction of his forces, and is always as busy as any man on the job. The brick layers are nearly all from Chicago. The pressed-brick men receive $5 per day, the others $4. Florence Keeler is foreman of the pressed brick force. The carpenter foreman is Mr. W. R. Crawford, of Lexington, Mich., and he has a force of nine men under his charge. Mr. Crawford expects to stay by the building to the end if it is completed this year. With favorable weather Mr. Alsip says he will have the brick work completed within 40 days from the time of the commencement of the work, all ready for the roof. He says they cannot afford to be any longer. The roof is to be of slate and tin, and the cornice of galvanized iron. In every respect the building is to be first class. The best stone, the best brick, the best material of all kinds is used. For outside work the very best hydraulic pressed brick are used. Mr. Alsip says the Zanesville brick have all been rejected. They were of a little better color than the St. Louis, but not so true and perfect. If arrangements shall be made to finish the building this year, he expects to have it all completed and ready for occupancy by January 1st next. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, April 25, 1883, Page 3)
The brick work of the first story of the new court house is completed, and the second story is growing rapidly. The work presents a very fine appearance. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, May 9, 1883, Page 3)
With good weather the brick work on the new court-house will be finished inside often days. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, May 30, 1883, Page 3)
Up, up, upward goes the Court House. The brick is now being piled into shape for the tower. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, June 6, 1883, Page 3)
The brick-work on the new court-house is practically finished. The tower is to be finished of galvanized iron. This and the roof is the work now in hand. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, June 13, 1883, Page 3)
Work on the new court-house is progressing very satisfactorily. The carpenters will be through with their work on the roof and the tower this week. The slating material for the roof and galvanized iron for the tower is all on the ground. The slaters are expected daily. After their arrival, the roof will be rushed to completion. Lathers will be put to work immediately, and plasterers in about two weeks. Mr. Alsip says he will hardly be able to have the court-room ready for the September session, but he does expect to have the rooms ready for all the county officers by the middle of October, and the building entirely completed, ready to deliver to the county, by the first of December, or at the latest, by the first of the new year. The inside of the building is to be finished off in red oak all through, a very handsome and stylish finish. Mr. Alsip says they have about concluded to substitute Georgia pine for red oak for the floors, as this pine, to use his own words, “makes the finest floor in the land.” …D. J. Tubbs, the contractor for the foundation, has recently pointed up his work in good style, and can now say that his part is completed. …Mr. Arbuckle, the foreman of the cut stone work, finished his job Monday and left for his home in Minneapolis. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, July 4, 1883, Page 3)
The new court house can be seen for 10 miles in a northwesterly direction. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, July 18, 1883, Page 3)
Solomon Snow was in the city last week looking after court-house business. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, August 22, 1883, Page 3)
The court house – in its exterior – is nearly completed. The workmen are now finishing the cupola or dome, painting and sanding the galvanized iron, making it resemble the stone work of the building. …Work will soon be begun within. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, August 22, 1883, Page 3)
The foundation walls are of Mankato stone, ten-inch courses, rock face, with a neatly cut margin of one and one-half inches. At a height of eleven feet is a heavy water table of Ohio sandstone. The superstructure is built of the best St. Louis pressed brick with richly carved white stone trimmings. Porches and balconies, all of stone with heavy sand-stone columns, galvanized iron cornices, and all outside finish fire-proof, with slate roof and lead gutters. The entire inside is finished with hard woods, of new and pleasing patters, with tile floor in main corridor. The grand stair-way is built of red cherry, with heavy rail and handsome oil finish. All furniture is made of cherry of the latest patterns, and are models of convenience and luxury. The spacious court-room is furnished with the Andrews improved opera chairs, with hat-rack, tilting back, and perforated. The various county officers have spacious rooms and are all furnished in a style fitting in elegance to the grand whole. The architect was W. H. Dennis, of Minneapolis, and the contractors Messrs. Snow & Alsip, of Chicago. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, February 6, 1884, Page 3)
The new Court-House Fittingly Dedicated by the Formal Opening of the first Court Session within its Walls. (Mower County Transcript, Austin, Minnesota, Wednesday, March 19, 1884, Page 3)