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.

[2] 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.

[3] It was nominated for its Romanesque Revival architecture and long service as Steele County's government seat.