Steele County Courthouse (Minnesota)

{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2025}}

{{Infobox NRHP

| name = Steele County Courthouse

| nrhp_type = indcp

| nocat = yes

| image = CourthouseSteeleCountyMN.jpg

| caption = The Steele County Courthouse from the north

| coordinates = {{coord|44|5|0|N|93|13|31.5|W|display=inline,title}}

| locmapin = Minnesota#USA

| mapframe = yes

| mapframe-marker = building

| mapframe-zoom = 12

|mapframe-caption = Interactive map showing the location of Steele County Courthouse

| location = 111 East Main Street, Owatonna, Minnesota

| area = Less than two acres

| built = 1891

| builder = Leck & McLeod

| architect = T. Dudley Allen

| architecture = Romanesque Revival

| partof = Owatonna Commercial Historic District

| partof_refnum = 14001237

| refnum = 76001076{{NRISref|2010a}}

| added = June 3, 1976

| designated_nrhp_type = February 2, 2015

}}

The Steele County Courthouse is the seat of government for Steele County, located in Owatonna, Minnesota, United States. It was built in 1891. The courthouse is a three-story Austin red-brick building with red mortar, accented with Lake Superior brown stone. It was designed by T. Dudley Allen of Minneapolis in a Romanesque Revival and Italianate style, featuring corner towers, a turret, and a large clock on four sides. Windows are arched and a statue representing Mercy, Law, and Justice sits above the north face of the building. Polished granite columns support double arches at the entrances. The interior is decorated with wainscoting, woodwork, and an ornate oak staircase.{{cite web |title=Steele County Courthouse |publisher=Minnesota Judicial Branch |url=http://www.mncourts.gov/?siteID=0&page=CourtHouseProfile&ID=40061 |accessdate=2007-11-06}} The courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 for having local significance in the themes of architecture and politics/government.{{cite web |title=Steele County Courthouse |url=http://www.mnhs.org/preserve/nrhp/NRDetails.cfm-NPSNum=76001076.html |work=Minnesota National Register Properties Database |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |year=2009 |accessdate=2018-04-24}} It was nominated for its Romanesque Revival architecture and long service as Steele County's government seat.{{cite document |last=VanBrocklin |first=Lynne |title=National Register of Historic Places Inventory -- Nomination Form: Steele County Courthouse |publisher=National Park Service |date=1976-04-14}}

Steele County's previous county courthouse, built in 1874, was also listed on the National Register but was demolished in 1987 and removed from the register.{{cite book |last=Nord |first=Mary Ann |title=The National Register of Historic Places in Minnesota |publisher=Minnesota Historical Society |year=2003 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/nationalregister0000nord/page/300 300] |isbn=0-87351-448-3 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/nationalregister0000nord/page/300 }} The current courthouse is also a contributing property to the Owatonna Commercial Historic District.{{cite journal |last=Pearson |first=Marjorie |author2=Renee L. Hutter |author3=Andrew J. Schmidt |title=National Register of Historic Places Registration Form: Owatonna Commercial Historic District |url=http://www.mnhs.org/shpo/nrhp/docs_pdfs/0079_owatonna.pdf |publisher=National Park Service |date=April 2011 |accessdate=2015-05-24}}