ST. PAUL, Minn. — In Hastings, Minnesota, you’ll find a built-to-scale replica of the original Dakota County courthouse made from about 5,000 perfectly placed toothpicks. The artist? 85-year-old Jerry Hackett.

The courthouse, which took about three months to create, is the latest in a line of impressive sculptures from Hackett, who painstakingly plans and executes one miniature marvel after the next.

“He has so many God-given talents, but this one is something else,” his wife Patricia “Pat” Hackett said.

When the Hacketts moved from their Bemidji home to a townhome in Shakopee in 2016, Jerry Hackett knew he’d have to find a new hobby.

Hackett, who worked in accounting for a construction company, said “I used to garden a lot, but now I don’t have to cut the lawn or shovel snow.”

A father of six, Hackett credits his children’s schoolwork for planting the idea in his head.

“I remember when the kids went to school, they would build a little bridge out of toothpicks and the teachers would put weights on them and see how much weight they could hold,” he said. “I thought, ‘I could really do something with that.’”

What started as windmills, Ferris wheels and bridges in 2018 has now grown to ornate churches, sprawling schools and Hackett’s latest muse: Minnesota county courthouses.

“I printed out a list of all 87 counties, Googled pictures of their court houses and numbered them,” Hackett said. About seven or eight caught his eye due to their “uniqueness,” he said.

The original Dakota County courthouse in Hastings, Hackett’s latest toothpick creation that measures roughly 3 feet long, 3 feet wide and about 2½ feet tall, piqued his interest because it was built in the 19th century, he said.

Designed by A.M. Radcliffe in the Italian villa style, the courthouse has four symmetrical facades, keystone arches over the windows and a central cupola. It was built for just $95,000 in 1870, according to the county, which would equate to roughly $2.3 million today.

“We’ve never received a gift like this before,” said Dakota County Commissioner Mike Slavik, who represents Hastings. “We were not expecting it to be so large,” Slavik said. “It’s absolutely amazing that he put all that time into it.”

The model hit home for Slavik as he was a city council member in Hastings before serving as a county commissioner. “It was an extra special feeling for myself,” Slavik said.

The replica is currently on display at the county’s administration center in Hastings, but Slavik said they are working with the Dakota County Historical Society to find a long-term display option.

How does he do it?

“Before I start, I gather all the supplies and measure out everything,” Hackett said.

Once all the pieces are ready, Hackett dips each end of the toothpick in glue and meticulously attaches each piece to the next, on top of wax paper where he’s drawn the replica to scale.

Don’t expect to see Hackett at Target or HyVee loading up a cart full of toothpicks: that’s amateur hour. He orders his toothpicks, about 10,000 at a time, from a restaurant supplier.

Like anyone dedicated to their craft, Hackett follows a weekly workout routine to maintain his dexterity. Every other day you’ll find him cranking out 300 reps on his hand grip exerciser.

His work area, what he refers to as his “man cave,” is stocked with boxes of toothpicks, tiny tools including a miniature table saw and blueprints of the building he’s working on – if he can get his hands on them.

‘Absolutely in awe’

Hackett recounted a time about five years ago when he was trying to get blueprints to recreate the Duluth Lift Bridge.

“I called up MnDOT, told them who I was and I could tell he was very leery of me,” Hackett said with a chuckle. “He said, ‘That isn’t our district,’” and gave Hackett a different number to call, which led to another number and another. “Everyone was passing the buck,” he said.

Finally, one woman from the city heard his plea and sent him the architectural drawings of the bridge so he could recreate it.

Shortly after he finished the lift bridge, Hackett was reading a local newspaper when he learned that a company out of St. Louis Park bought Duluth’s Historic Old Central High School and was converting it into apartments.

The original Duluth Central High School, which closed in 1970 due to age and safety conditions, was known for its clock tower, sweeping stairways, chandeliers and iron banisters.

Hackett decided the school would be his next project, but he couldn’t have predicted the impact it would have on the local community.

Hackett rang the developer who quickly sent over the drawings they had of the property. While they were helpful, the drawings didn’t capture all the details he needed, so he enlisted a photographer from the Duluth area who, for $50, got him all the necessary angles of the building.

One year and some 32,000 toothpicks later, Hackett’s replica of Duluth’s Historic Old Central High School became his largest project to date, measuring 6 feet long, 3 feet wide and more than 3 feet tall.

“All of a sudden I get an email from someone named Jerry saying, ‘I have this, do you want it?’” recounts Barb Darland, board chair of the Duluth Central Alumni Association.

The email included just a few paragraphs and a photo of the replica.

“It’s absolutely pristine, beautiful, immaculate and so precise,” said Darland, a 1977 graduate of Duluth Central High School. “It’s really hard to comprehend how much time and effort he put into this particular piece, especially not even having a heart string to the building like most of us do.”

With a trailer in tow, a couple of members of the alumni association drove to Shakopee to bring the gifted replica home to Duluth where it could be displayed alongside other artifacts from the school at an exhibit at the St. Louis County Depot.

“When they opened up the (trailer) doors … I was absolutely in awe,” said Gary Lundstrom, a DCHS graduate of 1976 who assembled the exhibit.

“This was the bride and groom on top of the wedding cake,” he said of the replica. “This was the showpiece.”

Lundstrom, whose family history goes back 130 years in Duluth, said, “The detail that Jerry applied, it’s a labor of love. Especially since he had no personal connection to the school. For him to generously donate that was just a phenomenal gift.”

Frequently asked questions with Jerry Hackett

This interview has been edited for clarity.

Q: You worked in accounting, why not go into engineering?

A: “I’m like George on Seinfeld, I always wanted to be an architect,” he said.

Really?

“No, not really,” he said with a chuckle.

Q: How do you cut the toothpicks so cleanly?

A: “With these,” he said, holding up a pair of toenail clippers.

Q: Do you have a favorite replica?

A: “I always say the last one because I get better at it.”

Q: How long does each project take?

A: “Usually a couple of months, but it depends.”

Q: What is the hardest part of the models?

A: “The roof.”

Q: How much do they cost to create?

A: “The Dakota County courthouse cost about $100.”

Q: What is your dream project?

A: “St. Paul’s Landmark Center building.”

‘Toothpick Boss’

What does his family think of his hobby? They are all in and affectionately refer to him as the “Toothpick Boss.” One daughter even gifted him a T-shirt proudly claiming the title, he said.

Upon entering the home of the Toothpick Boss, Pat Hackett is quick to point out each of her husband’s replicas on display, including the Seattle Space Needle and the Eiffel Tower.

“We are excited to see the inspiring work of a local artist who has creatively transformed Diamond toothpicks into a beautiful sculpture,” said Holly Burford, brand manager for Diamond, one of Hackett’s preferred toothpick brands. “We celebrate the imagination of individuals like this artist, who make something extraordinary with our simple yet reliable toothpicks.”

Minnesotans may recognize his local creations including St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Shakopee, the St. Croix Crossing bridge, St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in New Prague, and courthouses from Washington, Waseca and Steele counties.

Other replicas extend beyond the Midwest, like the world’s first metal bridge, the Iron Bridge, constructed in Shropshire, England in 1779 and the Sydney Harbour Bridge in Australia.

Next on his list is the Blue Earth County courthouse in Mankato, he said, adding that he’s still waiting on some schematics. After that he plans to do the Jackson County courthouse and the Faribault County courthouse.

Nearly every work of art Hackett creates, he gives away.

Whether it’s the Dakota County courthouse, Duluth’s Historic Old Central High School, or a Wisconsin lighthouse for one of his daughter’s friends’ birthday, he passes it on.

“I figure they appreciate having the history,” he said of his gifts.

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