Clallam County Courthouse facts for kids
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Clallam County Courthouse
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Clallam County Courthouse
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 Location in Washington (state)
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| Location | 319 Lincoln Street, Port Angeles, Washington |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1914 |
| Built by | Sound Construction |
| Architect | Francis Grant |
| Architectural style | Classical Revival |
| Part of | Port Angeles Civic Historic District (ID11000259) |
| NRHP reference No. | 87001459 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | September 2, 1987 |
| Designated CP | May 4, 2011 |
The Clallam County Courthouse is a historic building located at 319 Lincoln Street in Port Angeles, Washington. It was built between 1914 and 1915. This new building took the place of an older wooden courthouse from 1892. The courthouse was officially opened on June 14, 1915.
Today, a newer building, built in 1979, is connected to the old courthouse by a bridge. This newer part handles many official tasks, like court hearings and keeping public records. The original historic courthouse now houses the Clallam County Museum and other county offices. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. This means it is recognized as an important historical site.
What Does the Courthouse Look Like?
The Clallam County Courthouse is a three-story building with a basement and a tall tower. It was designed in the Classical Revival style. This style often uses ideas from ancient Greek and Roman buildings, like grand columns and balanced shapes. Architect Francis Grant designed the building. The Sound Construction Company built it.
Inside, the courthouse has a beautiful central area called an atrium. This atrium is open up to a second-floor balcony. Sunlight shines in through special leaded glass skylights. The walls of the atrium are decorated with marble and a fancy plaster called scagliola. Two curved staircases lead up to the second floor. The county jail used to be in the courthouse basement.
The roof of the courthouse has 126 solar panels. These panels collect energy from the sun. They were first put in place in 1979 and were replaced in 2011. These solar panels create about one-fifth of the electricity the building uses.
The Famous Clock Tower
The courthouse has a special tower that combines a bell tower and a clock tower. It stands 82 feet (about 25 meters) tall from the ground. The clock in the tower was made by the E. Howard & Co. in Boston. It was installed in 1915 by Joseph Mayer, a clockmaker from Seattle.
This huge clock system is quite unique. Each of its four faces is 8 feet 4 inches (about 2.5 meters) wide! Believe it or not, this clock was not originally meant for Clallam County. It was made in 1880 and traveled all the way around Cape Horn (the southern tip of South America) to Seattle. But no one bought it, so it stayed in storage at the Seattle docks for 29 years!
Architect Francis Grant discovered the clock in storage. The county then bought it for $5,115. When the clock was installed, it was connected to a 4-foot-tall, one-ton iron bell. Most bells have a clapper that hits the inside. But the Clallam County Courthouse bell is hit from the outside. This gives it a special, softer sound.
The tower and clock were repaired and updated in the winter of 2010–2011. This was part of a big courthouse restoration project that cost over a million dollars. The Clallam County Courthouse's clock and bell tower are so important that they are even shown on the official seal of Clallam County.
