Multnomah County Courthouse facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Multnomah County Courthouse |
|
|---|---|
Seen from the northeast in 2006, showing the building's 4th Avenue (left) and Salmon Street sides
|
|
| General information | |
| Status | Closed as a courthouse, awaiting repurposing |
| Architectural style | Neoclassical |
| Location | 1021 SW 4th Ave., Portland, Oregon, USA |
| Cost | $1.6 million |
| Owner | NBP Capital (since November 2018) |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Whidden & Lewis |
|
Multnomah County Courthouse
|
|
| Built | 1911/1914 |
| Visitation | 3000/day (2011) |
| NRHP reference No. | 79002136 |
| Added to NRHP | June 11, 1979 |
.jpg)
The Multnomah County Courthouse is a very old building in Portland, Oregon. For over 100 years, from 1911 to 2020, it was where important legal cases for Multnomah County, Oregon were heard. It's located in downtown Portland and is considered a historic landmark.
In 2013, leaders decided the building was too old and needed expensive repairs to make it safe from earthquakes. So, they planned to build a brand new courthouse. The old courthouse closed its doors on September 29, 2020. A new, modern courthouse opened soon after. The old building was sold in 2018. The new owners plan to fix it up and use it for different things, like homes and businesses.
Contents
History of the Old Courthouse
The Multnomah County Courthouse was built a long time ago, between 1909 and 1914. It cost about $1.6 million to build. To make sure it wouldn't burn down easily, it was made with strong materials like steel covered in concrete. Its floors were also made of concrete, and the walls were built with special bricks covered in plaster.
When it was finished, it was the biggest courthouse on the west coast. It was also the main office for the county government and even had a jail inside!
Changes Over Time
The building originally had an open space in the middle, like a courtyard. In the past, during a time called the Prohibition Era, illegal alcohol was poured down a drain in this courtyard. Over many years, this open space was filled in to create more offices and a room for juries.
The courthouse also had large courtrooms that were two stories tall. In the 1950s, some of these tall rooms were split in half. This created new floors and more space for courtrooms.
People had been thinking about fixing up the courthouse since the 1970s. By the 1990s, they even started thinking about building a new one. In 1979, the building was officially added to the National Register of Historic Places. This means it's an important historical site.
Why a New Courthouse Was Needed
In 2001, a small earthquake happened. This earthquake showed that the old courthouse wasn't strong enough to handle a bigger one. Experts said it would cost a lot of money, perhaps over $176 million, to make the old building safe from earthquakes. This process is called a seismic retrofit.
Instead of spending so much to fix the old building, the county leaders decided in 2013 to build a completely new courthouse. They looked for the best place to build it. In 2015, they chose a spot near the Hawthorne Bridge.
The New Courthouse Opens
Construction on the new building started in October 2016. The old Multnomah County Courthouse closed its doors for good on September 29, 2020. The new building, called the Multnomah County Central Courthouse, opened just a few days later, on October 5, 2020.
The new courthouse is much taller, with 17 stories. It has 44 courtrooms, which is a lot more space. It's located a few blocks away from the old building.
What's Next for the Old Building?
The county sold the old courthouse building in November 2018. The new owners, NBP Capital, plan to make it safe from earthquakes. After that, they want to turn it into a "mixed-use development." This means the building will have different uses, like apartments, offices, or shops, instead of just being a courthouse. The exact plans are still being worked out.
