Hennepin County Law Library - History

History

The Hennepin County Law Library had its origin when the Minneapolis Bar Association incorporated on February 20, 1883. The Bar Association was a stock corporation that allowed members to pay for stock by contributing books, the value of which was determined by an appraisal committee. The law library's first location was a room on the second floor of a building on Nicollet Avenue adjoining the First National Bank at Washington Avenue. In August 1883 the collection was moved to the Academy of Music Building, at the corner of Washington and Hennepin Avenues. This magnificent building, a showplace for the arts and the center of the city's entertainment district, was gutted by fire on Christmas Day, 1884. The law library was completely destroyed. With the insurance proceeds of $15,000, the Bar Association began rebuilding the law library, which opened in the Boston Block on May 1, 1885. This was another famous building that boasted the first indoor court in Minneapolis. But in April 1886, it was also struck by fire, destroying the law library for a second time. With the insurance of $20,000, a third law library was established in the Temple Court building, which occupied the site of the former Academy of Music Building. By 1895 the law library contained about 7,000 volumes. In 1903 it was provided accommodations in Room 434 of the new Court House and City Hall building. In 1960 the law library moved to Room 318, where it remained until its move in September 1976 to its present location in the Hennepin County Government Center.