Built in 1899 (Richardsonian Romanesque). Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
“The Polk County Courthouse is located in Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.”
Wikipedia article Polk County Courthouse (Wisconsin), CC BY-SA 4.0.
One of 13 National Register listings published here for Polk County · listed in 1982 · category: Building · built in 1899, Richardsonian Romanesque.
Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 6 fires within 5 miles of Polk County Courthouse between 2018 and 2019, burning about 17 acres in total. None started naturally. None was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Reported cause | Fires |
|---|---|
| Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 5 |
| Debris and open burning | 1 |
The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.
| Date | Cause | Size | Reported by | Name on the report |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 May 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 18 |
| 6 May 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 15 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 60 |
| 20 May 2019 | Debris and open burning | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 60 |
| 1 May 2018 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | under an acre | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 15 |
| 25 April 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 2919 |
| 25 April 2019 | Missing data/not specified/undetermined | 1.0 acres | Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources | 3019 |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 11 workings within 5 miles of Polk County Courthouse: 6 occurrences, 2 producers, 2 past producers, 1 plant. 3 still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.
| Where | Site | Commodity | Status | Recorded |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apple River Cemetery Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Balsam Branch Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Balsam Lake Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Frank Svoboda Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| J. Nelson Mill | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Plant | ||
| J. Nelson Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Producer | ||
| Long Lake Snd Deposit #2 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Long Lkae Sand Deposit #1 | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence | ||
| Otter Lake Gravel Pit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Past Producer | ||
| Toby Creek Gravel Deposit | Sand and Gravel, Construction | Occurrence |
Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Balsam Lake, the town this property stands in, in 18 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 11 thunderstorm wind, 4 hail, 3 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.
| When | Event | Place named | Harm | What the report says |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| July 2010 | Tornado (EF0) | Balsam Lake | $100,000 | A tornado traveled from west to east across the northern edge of the village of Balsam Lake. A small grove of large trees was completely uprooted just north of downtown Balsam Lake. There were 2 garages which has all sides blown in. Other large trees were snapped or uprooted, with a few ending up on houses. A shed was blown over. |
| July 2010 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | $15,000 | Downburst wind damage was evident in central Balsam Lake, south of the EF-0 tornado that moved east to west along West Main Street (Highway 46). The downburst caused several signs and trees to be blown down. A garage was also damaged. |
| August 2024 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | County Dispatch reported trees down in the village of Balsam Lake. |
| May 2022 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | Photos of a damaged farm showed the roof partially off a large machine shed, a collapsed shed, and a collapsed garage. Time estimated from radar. |
| July 2019 | Tornado (EF1) | Balsam Lake | - | This tornado started in Polk County and dissipated in Barron County. A damage survey and aerial photos showed many hundreds of trees down from the tornado, which was surrounded by a massive area of severe downburst winds that downed thousands of trees. The tornado itself knocked down sheds, took roofs off barns and outbuildings, and snapped or knocked down trees, some of which landed on houses and vehicles. |
| July 2011 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | Numerous large trees and power lines were blown down around Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. |
| July 2010 | Hail | Balsam Lake | - | Several trained spotters reported dime, up to half dollar size hail around Balsam Lake, Wisconsin. |
| July 2007 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | Tree down across road. |
| April 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | Several trees were downed onto power lines. |
| September 2004 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | Trees were downed on 120th St. in Milltown Township. The time was estimated. |
| July 1999 | Tornado (F0) | Balsam Lake | - | Few trees and power lines down along six blocks in Balsam Lake. Pole barn down on the east side of Balsam Lake. |
| July 1997 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | Barn blown down. Estimated windspeed. |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | Strong winds, lightning and tree branches downed at least 25 power lines in the area around Balsam Lake. |
| September 2024 | Hail | Balsam Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 2015 | Hail | Balsam Lake | - | no account filed |
| June 2005 | Hail | Balsam Lake | - | no account filed |
| May 1996 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | no account filed |
| July 1995 | Thunderstorm Wind | Balsam Lake | - | no account filed |
No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.
Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.
| Photograph | Property | Distance | Listed |
|---|---|---|---|
 | John Lindstrom Round Barn | 5.0 miles | 2016 |
 | Lamar Community Center | 6.0 miles | 1982 |
| National Archives record | The nomination case file for reference 82000697 in Record Group 79. |
| Wikipedia article | Community-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA. |
| Polk County | All 13 listed properties in this county. |
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