Okanogan County Courthouse
The Okanogan County Courthouse is a unique and quite well preserved example of Mission—Style architecture that stands like a patriarch overlooking the city of Okanogan. It was built in 1915 as the result of the movement of county government from Conconully to Okanogan, which became the third county seat in Washington's largest county. It is a local landmark that not only represents thought and architecture of another time but also encompasses over 100 years of Okanogan County history. For those pioneers who struggled, toiled and waited for the development of the country, the establishment of the courthouse at a permanent location marked the beginning of a brighter era for Okanogan and the county.
The creation of Okanogan County marked a climax of an evolution which began after Americans in the Willamette Valley decided to claim an enormous territory—the "Oregon Country," extending from California north to Russian America (Alaska) and from the Pacific east to the Rocky Mts. An Oregon provisional government was formed in 1843 which created four huge counties including the Calackamas, the first entity to include the Okanogan. Through the years the Okanogan country was finally reduced to its present shape and size, 5,295 square miles, in 1899.
On the morning of December 28th, 1914, the county offices opened up for business at Okanogan in the old Freer store building, which had been fixed up as a temporary courthouse to house the auditor, treasurer, assessor, engineer and the clerk of the court. The prosecutor was in an office over the post office and a makeshift jail was fixed up in the Miller Building. Court was- held in the city council chamber.
County commissioners ... proceeded without delay to arrange for the building of a new courthouse. George H. Keith, an architect from Spokane, was employed to prepare plans. The contract for building the structure was let on January 6, 1915, to D. D. Davenport of Omak... ...The site selected was the one which had been donated for that purpose by Chas. C. Woodhouse, Jr., of Republic, Washington, which was all of Block 11 in the original townsite of North Alma, in Okanogan County.
The first ground was broken about March 1st and the corner stone was laid April 16, 1915, after which there was a parade with three town bands, a city-wide celebration and a ball game in the afternoon, all with a huge crowd: in attendance. The building was sufficiently completed for occupancy shortly after mid-October and the moving of the officials to the new building occurred on the 20th day of October.
Keith's statement of the cost of the courthouse, together with furnishings and improvements, was $37,018.23, and value of real estate donated to the county was $3,000.
From the NRHP Registration Form