Artifact Spotlight: The Story of the Old Eureka Courthouse

Cat #: 2007.048.121

While driving through Eureka, one of the most imposing buildings is the County Courthouse, located at 825 Fifth Street. The current courthouse was built in 1960 after the previous courthouse, pictured above, was torn down. In the museum collection, we have a number of photos of the old Courthouse showing how the building-and the town around it-changed over time.

The Old Courthouse after one of the earthquakes that had struck the area. Note the tilted Minerva Statue on the dome. Following this earthquake, the statues were removed from the roof of the building c. 1920 Cat #: D82.024.064A-B

The tower of the courthouse after the statues of Minerva and other goddesses had been removed. Cat #: 2005.063.665A&C

The first Eureka Courthouse was nearly as old as the county itself. Construction began in 1883 and was completed in 1889 and was built on land that was once used as a pasture in town. This courthouse was built less than a decade after Humboldt County was carved out of Trinity County, using local materials such as clay near Myrtle Grove cemetery, granite and gravel from the Mad River, and sand from local dunes. The cornerstone of the building was laid on July 4, 1885 by the Free and Accepted Mason Humboldt Lodge No 79, led by John M. Melendy, the inspector of the Masonic district. The festivities to related to the laying of the cornerstone included a parade ("with a wagon containing a huge tea pot, of sufficient size to furnish tea to the entire multitude") and the creation of a time capsule situated inside the cornerstone itself. The timecapsule included a number of items, including a bible, constitutions and bylaws of many of the local Fraternal Orders,  a list of United States Presidents, photographs of important citizens, a copy of the act to create Humboldt County, and records related to the incorporation of the Eel River and Eureka railroad.

Photo of the Courthouse, Cat #: 2005.063.666A

The Courthouse was a large, imposing Italianate structure featuring 14 statues representing various Roman Goddesses including Minerva, Flora, Ceres, Fortuna, and Juno. The statues were made of zinc and painted over grey with grey colored sand to appear stone-like. In 1893, a clock was added to the tower, similar to a clock installed on a courthouse in Santa Rosa. The building became a mainstay in the community as a number of local groups used the massive staircase in front of the courthouse to stage group photos. Many of these large group photos are currently on display as part of the Fraternal Orders of Humboldt County exhibit.

A photo of the 1924 fire in the Courthouse tower. Cat #: B60.039.005A-B

IOOF Members on the steps of the courthouse, c 1910. Cat #: 1964.001.112

The Courthouse, c 1920. Cat #: 2005.059.036

In 1924, the courthouse made headlines as far east as Nevada when a painter's blowtorch set the tower ablaze.  It cause $60,000 in damage, and the tower survived for another 26 years before it was removed in 1950 for safety purposes. Following a devastating earthquake, the whole building was condemned and demolished in 1956. However, the original flagpole for the courthouse remains, even to today.

In 1953, in celebration of the County's centennial, a pamphlet about the construction of the courthouse was produced by Howard B. Melendy. Click on the link below to read the full booklet.

Humboldt County Centennial 1953 by Howard B Melendy

Additional information in this article was found in the following places:
Nevada State Journal, Reno, NV 7 Sept 1924
Courthouses of California: An Illustrated History by Ray McDevitt
​Humboldt County Historical Society as cited here
Waymarking
You can see more photos of the courthouse here at "Courthouse History"