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Lewis County Courthouse
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Washington State Heritage Register
The NRHP-listed Lewis County Courthouse, Chehalis
Lewis County Courthouse
Location	351 NW North Street, Chehalis, Washington
Coordinates	46°39′42″N 122°58′05″W
Area	0.05 acres (0.020 ha)
Built	1927 (1927)
Built by	Erickson, S. Christian, Settergren Bros
Architect	Jack DeForest Griffin
Architectural style	Beaux-Arts
NRHP reference No.	14000501
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	August 18, 2014
Designated WSHR	June 20, 2014

The Lewis County Courthouse is a neo-classical Beaux-Arts inspired courthouse located in Chehalis, Washington. The structure is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

History

Early county courthouse history

Lewis County, known as the Mother of All Counties due to other jurisdictions carved from its original borders, had several county seats and courthouses before finally settling in Chehalis. The first recorded Lewis County proceeding was a commissioner's meeting at the Ford's Prairie home of Judge Sydney Smith Ford on October 4, 1847. The first judicial proceeding in the county, and in what would become Washington state, was held in October 1850 at the log cabin Jackson family home on the Jackson Prairie, eventually becoming known as Mary's Corner. The court matter, a selection of jurors, was overseen by Federal Judge William R. Strong of Oregon. The record of which location was the first official courthouse in the county has remained up for debate.

Proceedings alternated between the Ford and Jackson locations for a time, creating a rivalry, with Mr. Ford once refusing to attend a meeting at the Jackson location; he was fined $10. Commissioner meetings often described issues of travel as deplorable and time-consuming. The Ford site, now lost and its location not speficially known, was considered too remote and the Jackson courthouse difficult to reach for people traveling from the Puget Sound region due to hazards traversing the Skookumchuck River and muddy lands of Saundersville, the early name of what became known as Chehalis. The creation of Thurston County in 1852 lessened the need to travel to Lewis County for court matters and the Jackson Courthouse became the central legal meeting house for the county.

Court and county proceedings have been recorded or mentioned as being held during the 1850s in other locations such as the cabin of Simon Plamondon at Cowlitz Landing and the home of John Moore on the Newaukum Prairie.

Exhaustion over the constant moving of courthouse locations necessitated a territorial legislative act in January 1862 that provided funding for the construction of a permanent courthouse in the county. The community of Claquato was chosen as the county seat after the founder of the town, Lewis H. Davis, agreed to terms to donate land for the courthouse. Built on a 160 ft × 250 ft (49 m × 76 m) parcel north of the Claquato Church, an NRHP-listed site, by John D. Clinger, the courthouse contained lumber supplied by Davis' sawmill. It was completed in six months, and the first event held was a fundraiser for the Union during the Civil War. Despite its designation as a courthouse, no court proceedings occurred but the building was used to conduct county business. The county seat shifted to Chehalis in 1874 and the Claquato courthouse was used for several community functions such as a schoolhouse and Grange hall, and was ultimately demolished in 1888.

First courthouse in Chehalis

The first official courthouse in Chehalis was begun in the spring of 1874 and completed a few months later in June. Built on a cleared acre of land at the corner of North Street and State Avenue, construction on the two-story wood-framed courthouse was overseen by an Olympia-based contractor, W.H. Taylor & Sons. The footprint was listed as 30 ft × 46 ft (9.1 m × 14.0 m); the first floor containing offices for public services and the top floor reserved for courtrooms. As part of the move of the county seat, the county only agreed to earmark $1,000 for the building's construction, necessitating a bond to cover additional costs signed by several prominent citizens, including John Dobson and William West. The total cost of the build reached $3,000. The courthouse was formally dedicated on July 4, 1874. A day-long celebration was followed by a ball inside the courthouse; tickets to attend cost $2.50 per couple.

Public documents from around the county were transferred to the site in August. The courthouse continued its purpose until either 1889 or up until 1897, where the structure was considered too small for use considering the increasing growth of Chehalis and the county. The structure was sold, moved to the corner of Market and West streets, and ultimately was lost to fire years later.

Barrett Block Courthouse

The Barrett Block Courthouse, located a block east of the first courthouse, was originally a mixed-used building featuring the city's Grand Central Hotel, a bank, saloon, and a variety of stores. The building was erected in 1891 by the matriarch of Chehalis, Elizabeth Barrett Saunders, also known as the "Mother of Chehalis". The city purchased the three-story hotel structure for $6,500, spending and additional $3,000 for repairs and upgrades.

The Barrett courthouse was often chided in the local press due to its location and lack of facility since its beginning as the new judicial center for the county. The courthouse jail was overcrowded and convict escapes were common; a six-man escape occurred due to a carpenter's error in March 1908. The county board of commissioners began looking to replace the Barrett courthouse in the late 1910s and by the 1920s, the building was falling into disrepair, with concerns over the structure's safety and cleanliness.

Lewis County Courthouse

The construction of the Lewis County Courthouse began in 1925 and was designed in the Beaux-Arts-style, a popular architectural trend for the time, by the architect Jacque “Jack” DeForest Griffin, an influential designer in 1920s Chehalis, specifically in the Chehalis Downtown Historic District. Land for the new structure was purchased from a local Methodist church and the construction costs, estimated to be as high as $425,000, was funded by a two-year period of several levies and was not paid for by bond, debt, or a tax increase.

The courthouse was built in two phases. The first stage was overseen by a Tacoma builder, S. Christian Erickson which was in charge of pouring and casting the foundation, basement, and concrete shell and structural support. The courthouse project proceeded to completion under a second unit by the Settergren Brothers of Portland, Oregon. The overall project was under management of A.J. Rousch of Seattle.

The new courthouse was announced to be of use for "at least the next 100 years". During the June 1927 dedication, a half-holiday for the city was planned and several events took place during the open house ceremonies, including a baseball game and an evening dance at the city's auditorium.

As of 2014, the courthouse's rebuild value was listed at approximately $140,000,000 million.

Notable events and incidents

The city held an open house in September 2014 to celebrate the courthouse's inclusion to both the NRHP and Washington State Heritage registries. The celebrations honored past county commissioners and public servants. Gerry L. Alexander, a retired Chief Justice of the Washington Supreme Court, was a speaker. Several attendees to the event wore fashion from the 1920s and a photo was taken on the front steps that mirrored a picture taken during the 1927 dedication ceremonies. Visitors toured the jail which included an account of "Henry", a ghost who is perceived to haunt the inmate area.

In October 2018, District Court judge R. W. Buzzard chased after two prisoners who attempted to escape from court proceedings. Both inmates were handcuffed and Buzzard, who threw off his judicial robes and leapt over his desk, was able to reach one of the escapees before they reached the courthouse doors. The second prisoner was apprehended nearby.

Geography

The courthouse stands in what was the prior downtown area before the city relocated its main business core to the Chehalis Downtown Historic District on Market Street. Situated on a corner bordered by Chehalis Avenue and Main, North, and Pacific streets, the structure is surrounded by other government buildings, including the Lewis County Law and Justice Center immediately across Main Street to the south.

Architecture and features

Exterior

The 4-story Lewis County Courthouse is considered a Beaux-Arts-style building with a footprint listed at 90 ft × 162 ft (27 m × 49 m). Built of steel reinforced concrete, the exterior is finished in sandstone, a bottom layer which casts a pink-grey hue. It contains a daylight basement and three floors above the ground level. A mezzanine is located on the north end of the courthouse between the second and third floors.

Cast sandstone posts with curved walls encompass symmetrical and centered entrance stairs on all four sides of the courthouse. The north and south stairways are made of granite. A stairwell facing Pacific Avenue, as well as an ADA-modified ramp on North Street, access the basement level. Windows, no longer original, are doubkle-paned and the casements include balustrades, pediments and sills made of stone. Window wells provide illumination to the basement floor.

The roof is flat, constructed of concrete, and contains a skylight centered over the central interior staircase. Originally protected by tar and gravel, the roof was upgraded to a modern method of weather protection and insulation.

Architectural details include Doric order pilasters as well as a cornices, a parapet that hides a windowless attic, and triglyphs. A small window is hidden under the parapet at the location of the courthouse jail, allowing in some light to the cells while providing a security measure against escape. Bas relief portraits carved out of sandstone are featured on the building. The busts of Meriwether Lewis is located on the east side and the sculptured portrait of George Washington is located on the west wall. Carved inscriptions are located on the parapets of the courthouse:

North side inscription

COVRTHOVSE OF THE COVNTY OF LEWIS
ERECTED BY THE PEOPLE AND DEDICATED
TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF JVSTICE

South side inscription

LET VS RAISE A STANDARD TO WHICH
THE WISE AND HONEST CAN REPAIR
GEORGE WASHINGTON

Interior

The basement and main floors are listed as being totals 14,670 square feet (1,363 m²) in size. The attic space is lesser, registering 10,656 square feet (990.0 m²) and the mezzanine listed as the smallest floor at 2,500 square feet (230 m²). The first floor contains the highest ceilings. Walls are either plastered terra cotta or gypsum, with original mahogany trim, carved to match features seen in the plaster walls. The floors of the public areas, as well as the main staircase and basement, are terrazzo with brass dividers. Exterior details are duplicated in the interior spaces, including egg-and-dart moldings, modillions, and finials.

At the time of the NRHP nomination, mahogany benches, once used in the courtrooms, were still in use, placed in lobby areas. The interior remain painted in colors from the 1920s and 1930s period and a sculpted panel of Meriwether Lewis resides in the main floor corridor.

The central staircase, providing access from the basement to the attic jail space, totals 64 steps. The walkway between the first and second floors feature a central staircase flanked by two stairwells. The section contains bas relief rosettes and the second floor illuminated by the skylight.

Jail

The jail area and cells were built by the Pauly Jail Building Company of St. Louis, Missouri. The cells were constructed to provide separate units specifically for more violent offenders and contained unconnected cells for women and youths, a specification stemming from jail issues at the Barrett Block Courthouse that allowed older prisoners to mingle with younger, more "tender conscience" criminals.

Original floor plans

The basement floor contained office space for various county government agencies such as agriculture, fairgrounds, fire, health, hunting and gaming, and the school superintendent. The space included two vaults for records and the sheriff; the sheriff's vault also housed an illicit alcohol during the Prohibition era. Coal was stored in the basement and provided a room for engineering and amenities for employees.

The first floor was home to other county government departments, including the assessor, auditor, treasurer, and offices of the county commissioners. The corridor made a large public lobby that included a telephone booth and a north and south vestibule. The second floor was home to two courtrooms, the smallest measuring 36 ft × 50 ft (11 m × 15 m) and the larger at 46 ft × 70 ft (14 m × 21 m). Rooms included chambers for judges and offices for attorneys, the county clerk, and the sheriff.

The mezzanine level, between the first and second floors, was the location of the courthouse's law library and rooms for the court bailiff, deputies, and juries. The top floor, also known as the attic or jail floor were accessed separately from the central staircase, including an elevator from the basement. The original jail cell space, cordoned based on gender and mental health, measured 40 ft × 50 ft (12 m × 15 m) with a bullpen and contained a solitary confinement room. Additionally, there were rooms for employees, jury sleeping quarters and a doctor's office and operating room.

Renovations and restorations

Annexes

The county's Health Department was moved to an annex built north of the courthouse in 1954. One of the courtrooms was remodeled in 1961, splitting in half, after a new district court was authorized. The new court moved to the annex, along with a second Superior Court judge in 1975. A second annex south of the courthouse was constructed and completed in 1977 to house the growing county government. Several agencies moved, allowing for expansion of law and legal department spaces in the building. Jury rooms were added immediately next to the courtrooms and the law library was moved to the mezzanine level. The changes allowed the courthouse to be in compliance with the ADA and the halved courtroom was restored to its original size. The south annex became known officially as the Law and Justice Center in 2003.

Courthouse

Four windows facing the train tracks west of the courthouse were bricked-over in 1967 in an attempt to mitigate railroad noise. The Superior courtroom underwent a renovation after a $100,000 loss by an arson fire in September 1973. A skybridge was constructed to allow for easier passage of employees and inmates between the courthouse and the south annex.

In 1990, the exterior was steam cleaned, and efforts were made to restore the masonry and make repairs to the stairways. A third courtroom was constructed on the second floor in 1993.

A large overhaul of the courthouse began in 1995 and lasted until 2003. The county consolidated all law enforcement, which included the courts, jail, and offices of the prosecuting attorneys and sheriff, at the annex. All county administrative agencies were moved into the courthouse. This change authored in the remodeling of several interior offices, a restoration of the façade, and the skyway was removed. After what was to be only a repainting of the interior back to original colors of the era when the courthouse was built and dedicated, additional renovations were undertaken without a master plan, which included upgrades to the electrical, heating and ventilation, and wiring the building for the internet. The painting, as well as other renovations of decor and lighting, was overseen by a Courthouse Refurbishment Committee which focused on highlighting the design of the architectural design and flourishes.

The extensive project included enlargements for the county dispatch center and 911. At the end of the efforts in 2003, the courthouse's occupancy layout had been almost completely changed. The Superior Courtroom became a public meeting hall for the county commissioners, several offices relocated to the second floor and replaced areas once occupied by the court system, and other agencies either expanded or had been removed to the Law and Justice Center. Despite all the renovations and changes, the only footprint changes were two expansions for areas regarding the dispatch center and a director's office.

Another restoration of the exterior began in 2007 mostly due to weather damages and the removal of the skybridge. Sandstone-casted blocks were replaced, bricks were repointed, and window sills on the west section of the second floor were replaced. Entrance lighting that was originally planned for the courthouse, but never realized, was installed during the 2007 project. A smaller restoration to repair the ridge cap and the elevator shaft accessible from the outside were completed in 2009.

A comprehensive restoration began in 2014 via a $75,000 grant from the Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation. The project, which included fixes to prevent water intrusion, pressure washing, repointing, and replacements of several window balustrades, was budgeted at over $160,000. The restoration was necessary due to masonry deterioration and a build up of dust and mildew, considered to be a fault of nearby factories.

Artworks

Located at the Lewis County Law and Justice Center is a bronze statue known as The Guardian. Created to honor local police officers who lost their lives in the line of duty, the artwork depicts a little girl along with an officer and a police dog.

Significance

The National Register of Historic Places considered the Lewis County Courthouse to be "directly associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of the growth, development and industry of Lewis County". The building was also noted for its connection with architect, Jack deForest Griffin, and how the courthouse is an example of his work. Additional notes of significance include that the courthouse was the first major expenditure by the county for a court building and the "permanence of its construction". The NRHP lists the span from 1927, the year the courthouse was dedicated, to 1954, when the building began its shift from law, legal, and county purpose for strictly county government function, as the most significant portion of the courthouse's history. The courthouse was officially added to the NRHP on August 18, 2014.

The courthouse was added two months earlier to the Washington State Heritage Register in June 2014. Led by efforts of the Lewis County Historical Society and Museum, the nomination focused on the depot's history and importance to the city and the region.

External links

• American Courthouses - Lewis County Courthouse photo archive

This page will be placed in the following categories if it is moved to the article namespace.

Categories:

• National Register of Historic Places in Lewis County, Washington
• 1927 establishments in Washington (state)
• Beaux-Arts architecture in Washington (state)
• Buildings and structures completed in 1927
• Buildings and structures in Lewis County, Washington
• Chehalis, Washington
• County courthouses in Washington (state)
• Courthouses in Washington (state)