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Minnesota State Law Library

Special Collections Room Virtual Tour

History of the library

Territorial ownership plateThe Minnesota State Law Library is the oldest continuing library in the state of Minnesota and also one of the state's oldest institutions. The library and the Territory of Minnesota were created by the same act of Congress on March 3, 1849. Section 17 of the act provided a $5,000 appropriation to establish a library that would be located at the seat of government. The library was set up in the summer of 1849 in a small candlelit room on the second floor of St. Paul's "Central House," a tavern that also functioned as the home of the new territorial government.

In 1881, the library was in the State Capitol when a fire broke out and destroyed 90% of the collection along with the building.

The library has been located in a log tavern, a hotel, a market, in three State Capitol buildings, a former Ford Motor Company factory and showroom, and, since 1990, on the ground floor of the Minnesota Judicial Center. 

The library's move to the Judicial Center was the first time the library had an appropriate place to keep the historic books in the collection.