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History abounds in Auburn, CA – The Placer County Courthouse

Written by Lonnie Crider   

Historic Auburn Courthouse, Photo by Barry Crider

Anyone who has travelled the Highway 80 corridor over the years couldn’t possibly help but notice the shining dome of the beautiful Placer County Courthouse which stands like a proud gatekeeper to the city of Auburn.

As it turns out, this Historical Placer County icon, which was designated a National Historic Site in 1960, has a colorful history as do most court houses and historical government buildings throughout the historic “Gold Country.”

As is the case with many early communities, the grounds on which this building was constructed attracted major activities of the early populace of Auburn due to its popularity and location next to established transportation routes. The hilltop where the present courthouse stands was once the site of bull and bear fights as well as public hangings, all of which were popular spectator sports in the early days of California!

An 1851 California Legislative Act organized the state into counties, at which time the County of Placer was formed, and Auburn was designated the county seat. At that time, a small structure made of wood and canvas was constructed where the court hearings of the Honorable Judge Hugh Fitz Simmons were conducted. Next to it was a jail constructed of logs, a common practice in early California history in which burgeoning communities had little or no infrastructure funds.

The next year, the contract to build a more permanent structure was awarded to Mr. Isaac Tidd for the sum of $16,000. The new 2 story wooden courthouse was completed in 1853 and housed courtrooms, as well as various county offices. The jail remained annexed next to the courthouse until 1855 when Auburn suffered its first major fire. Fortunately the courthouse was saved, however the jail was destroyed. A new separate jail was built.

Over the next 40 years the wooden 2 story courthouse and jail were refurbished on several occasions, but eventually became obsolete due to lack of space caused by growing activities in the courts, jails and recording offices.

In 1891, Placer County released a bid award to John M. Curtis to build a new 3 story masonry building similar to the ones he had designed and built for San Francisco, Santa Cruz and Sonoma County. The finished cost for the project would total a staggering $172,583, a large commitment of public funds at that time.

The old courthouse had to be moved to make way for the new structure so it was put on rollers and moved over to one side while construction commenced. The old wooden building was finally destroyed in 1897.

The new courthouse, which included a jail and hall of records, was constructed in sections. The first section was completed in 1894, with subsequent sections completed and dedicated with great fanfare on July 4, 1898. The “modern” Courthouse was now home not only to the court system but to the Sheriffs office, Agricultural Commission, Treasurer, Auditor, District Attorney, Recorder, Tax Collector and Superintendant of Schools……a truly integrated county facility of its day.

The old replacement 300 lb. steel bell, which had travelled around the Cape Horn in 1859 (the old one in the original wooden building had been cracked and put forth “mournful sounds”) was placed in the new building and served as a the community communication method, announcing important court activities, as well as a call to firefighters, and for the celebration of holidays and social events.

The water fountain in the center of the planter at the entrance of the parking lot was donated in 1908 and was moved to that location in 1976. The first elevator was installed in 1946 for a whopping $14,000!

During the pre-World War II years, the courthouse experienced further growth needs. In 1959, after a few decades of radical post-war growth in California and Placer County, property was purchased and facilities built in close proximity, while ancillary non-court functions migrated to larger and more modern facilities.

Shortly after the declaration of the courthouse as a Historical site in 1960, those who were saddled with the practical task of dealing with crowding in the old courthouse proposed that the courthouse be abandoned, and even leveled, as a way to relieve the county of growing maintenance, preservation and modernization responsibilities.

Public opinion was drastically opposed to such a plan and, as a compromise, the Courthouse was designated for judicial purposes only, and the efforts to acquire local adjacent land and relocate ancillary government functions accelerated.

In 1982, a group of citizens formed the “Placer County Committee to Preserve the Courthouse for Courts,” and through grants and outside donations amassed over $3 million. This, coupled with additional funding, led to its first modern day restoration project which lasted from 1986 to 1990.

An additional cosmetic and parking facilities improvement and restoration was completed in 2009, and although the new modern Bill Santucci Justice Center is now open in Roseville, the Auburn Courthouse still functions as a Placer County annex Court facility to this day.

The great news is not only is the “Old Courthouse,” as the locals refer to it, still vital and active, it also houses one of the most complete and interesting museums. A great educational experience for both adults and children, the Museum Gallery, which once housed the jail, provides an overview of Placer County History. Included is a Native American art exhibit, an impressive gold collection inside the former treasurer’s office in the lower vault, and the original Sheriff’s Office has been restored with its 1800’s furnishings, and looks as if the Sheriff is about to walk into the office to collect a prisoner for a court appearance!

So treat yourself on your next excursion to the Gold Country! Take the Maple Street exit to 101 Maple Street, or schedule a group tour by calling (530) 889-6500. The museum is open from 10am-4:00 pm daily (closed holidays) and it is FREE!

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This entry was posted on Saturday, January 16th, 2010 at 7:29 pm and is filed under History of Auburn, Things to Do. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

1. rebecca emert said at February 26th, 2010 at 4:22 pm

   I attended a tour of the old women’s jail. There was a tour woman who was dressed up and pretending to be a woman who was there in jail for shooting her fiancee because he was seeing another woman. I believe it was in the 1800’s. What was her name? Where can i find information and pictures of the old womens jail online?

2. Noel Crider said at April 1st, 2010 at 4:05 pm

   Hi Rebecca, sorry for the late reply. Unfortunately I don’t have any information on the women’s jail. My husband wrote the article and enjoys our area’s history and so contributes articles to my blog. He said he didn’t know either. Sorry I couldn’t help!

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