National Register of Historic Places

United States Post Office and Courthouse

Fergus Falls, Otter Tail County, Minnesota
Listed
October 23, 2012
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
12000879

About this property

The Edward J. Devitt U.S. Courthouse and Federal Building is a historic post office and courthouse building located in Fergus Falls, Minnesota, United States. It is used as a courthouse for the United States District Court for the District of Minnesota. The building was designed by Supervising Architect of the United States Department of the Treasury James Knox Taylor. The three-story steel-frame structure was completed in 1904 in the Renaissance Revival style. The exterior is composed of granite, brick, and limestone. The interior lobby has a floor of marble and terrazzo. The building was expanded in 1927 and 1933, which nearly doubled its size. Because of poor hotel accommodations in Fegus Falls, the federal courthouse was almost relocated to Detroit Lakes in the late 1920s. The River Inn was completed across the street in 1929, and it provided accommodations for judges, jurors, lawyers, and court visitors for many years. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2012. The following year it was named for Edward James Devitt, who served in the United States House of Representatives from 1947 to 1949, and as the Chief Judge of the U.S. District Court of Minnesota from 1959 to 1981.

Location

118 S. Mill St.
Fergus Falls, Otter Tail County, Minnesota
46.28431, -96.07235

Categories

COMMUNITY PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Nearby Historic Sites

River Inn
Industrial
0.1 mi
Hotel Kaddatz
Industrial
0.2 mi
Fergus Falls City Hall
Industrial
0.2 mi
Barnard Mortuary
Industrial
0.3 mi
Northern Pacific Depot
Industrial
0.3 mi

Questions about this property

When was United States Post Office and Courthouse listed on the National Register?

United States Post Office and Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on October 23, 2012.

What type of historic resource is United States Post Office and Courthouse?

United States Post Office and Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for United States Post Office and Courthouse?

The period of significance for United States Post Office and Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

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