First courthouse circa 1860 so co library collection

Courthouses of Santa Rosa

By RedwoodEmpire
  • 1st Courthouse (1856-1884)

    1st Courthouse (1856-1884)

    The first courthouse was built in 1856 at the corner of Fourth Street and Mendocino Avenue. It was auctioned off in the early 1880s to defray the costs of the new courthouse. Manville Doyle was the winning bidder and with A. Overton built the Doyle-Overton building on the property. By1890, that building housed the Exchange Bank
    Source: "SR - A Nineteenth Century Town", pg. 94.
  • 2nd Courthouse (1885-1906)

    2nd Courthouse (1885-1906)

    Completed at the end of1884. Destroyed by the 1906 Earthquake.
  • 3rd Courthouse (1910-1966)

    3rd Courthouse (1910-1966)

    Framework for courthouse. Photo dated 1908.
  • 3rd Courthouse - Cornerstone laid.

    3rd Courthouse - Cornerstone laid.

    Used cornerstone from second courthouse.
  • 3rd Courthouse (1910-1966)

    3rd Courthouse (1910-1966)

    Dedicated on May 6, 1910.
    (Sunset Magazine photo)
  • Courthouse Cannon (1920s-1942)

    Courthouse Cannon (1920s-1942)

    The cannon was donated to the American Legion after its use in France in WWI and the local chapter donated it to the County. During WWII it was scrapped for its metal - a common practice to support the war effort. Source: PD Oct 4, 1942.
  • Courthouse Torn Down

    Courthouse Torn Down

    A victim of the national Urban Renewal program, the well-built courthouse took days to tear down instead of the estimated 24 hours.
  • Courthouse Square - 1972

    Courthouse Square - 1972

    Courthouse area after the courthouse was torn down.
    Source: SC Library

  • Sources

    Dedication pamphlet - 1910
    Press Democrat articles
    Photos: Sonoma County Library, postcards