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Show CONDITION INTEGRITY fCftecfc One,) Excellent Q Good C~| Fair | | Deteriorated | | n Ruins Altered Q Unaltered Unexposed | | (Check One) fCftecfc OneJ (^ 3 Moved | | Original Site jj(] DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (if known) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE Washington County Courthouse was built between 1866 and 1876. Excavation on the basement began In 1866. Its dimensions were 36 feet 4 inches x 40 feet 4 inches on the outside. The walls were made of basalt rock 3 feet thick at the base and 2 feet 6 inches above the footings. The basement contained three rooms on each side used as jail cells with a large hallway in between. Two doors entered from the south and one from the north. The second two stories were made of salmon red bricks made on the ground. Mortar was burned from a pile of limestone east of Middleton, about 3 miles away. Six major county offices were housed on the main floor Both the basement and main floor were used before the third floor and roof were completed. The third floor housed the judges 1 chamber and the courtroom. It remains with only very minor modifications. The woodwork on the interior demonstrates the quality craftsmanship of the pioneers. oo m rn Crowning the structure ?s a cupola, centered on the building. In the tower at the base of the cupola is a gallows, designed for use in execution by hanging of criminals so sentenced. The trap door still trips. In design, the old courthouse resembles the old Council Hall in Salt Lake City and other square-built courthouses of the day. The building stands as a monument to these proud pioneers whose descendants take great pride in showing what their forbears did as "Americans" 5n Utah Territory before Statehood in 1896. Since I960, the old courthouse has been used for public offices, tourist information center, and public meetings. It is now owned and operated by Washington County, 70 C n o z: |
