Washington County Courthouse (Oregon)
| Washington County Courthouse | |
|---|---|
East façade of the courthouse,
the public entrance |
|
| General information | |
| Type | Courthouse |
| Architectural style | Neo-classical |
| Location | Hillsboro, Oregon |
| Coordinates | 45°31′24″N 122°59′20″W / 45.52333°N 122.98889°WCoordinates: 45°31′24″N 122°59′20″W / 45.52333°N 122.98889°W |
| Construction started | 1928 |
| Completed | 1930 |
| Owner | Washington County |
| Technical details | |
| Floor count | 3 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | O.R.W. Hossack |
| Main contractor | L. L. Young |
The Washington County Courthouse in Hillsboro, Oregon is the courthouse for Washington County, Oregon, in the United States. Washington County was established in 1843 and the first government building was finished in 1852. The current courthouse was built in 1928 with an addition and renovations to the structure in 1972. Currently the building houses courtrooms, the county sheriff’s dispatch, staff offices, and the office of the district attorney. The county jail was previously attached to the courthouse.
Washington County was created as Twality District on July 5, 1843, as part of the Champoeg Meetings that created the Provisional Government of Oregon. The county became Washington County by an act of the Territorial Legislature in 1849, and in 1850 the community that would become Hillsboro was selected as the county seat.
The first courthouse in the county was a log cabin near what is now Northwest 253rd Avenue, located on the land claim of Edward Constable where court sessions were held briefly. In 1850, David Hill sold 40 acres (160,000 m2) and a cabin from his land claim to the county for $200. This cabin was used to house the court until 1852, when a two-story building was finished to serve as the courthouse and center of county government in Hillsboro.
Built of cedar, this building was on land donated by the Kelsey family and located on the same block as the current site of the county courthouse, on the northwest corner of Main and 1st streets in downtown Hillsboro. Designed by A. B. Hallock, the building was 32 by 40 feet (9.8 m × 12.2 m) and built by William Green. Construction began in the middle of 1852 and the county accepted the building on December 8, 1852, at a cost of $3,300.
In 1871, the county solicited bids to construct a new, brick courthouse. The winning bid was for $12,500 by Samuel W. Elliot with construction finishing in May 1873. The new building was placed in the middle of the courthouse square, with a picket fence and outhouse added in 1882. The following year the previous two-story courthouse was sold. The brick courthouse was remodeled in the early 1890s when it was expanded and a clock tower added to the building. The clock tower was built in 1891 for a cost of $20,000 and Delos Neer as architect. Part of the cost came from adding steam heating to the courthouse. Though the courthouse had a clock tower, there was no clock and the county did not purchase the clockworks needed for a working clock. In 1897, the first telephone was added to the building. In 1912, the county contracted with Portland contractor William Foster to expand the building at a cost of $32,516.
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