Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Tombstone Courthouse
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Former Cochise County Courthouse, now site of Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park
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 Location in Arizona
Location in the United States
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| Location | Tombstone, Arizona |
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| Built | 1882 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72000196 |
| Added to NRHP | April 13, 1972 |
The Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park is a special state park in Arizona, United States. It is located in the famous town of Tombstone. This park protects the original courthouse building for Cochise County.
The building has two stories and was built in 1882. It has a unique cross shape and was designed in the Victorian style. Inside, it held many important county offices. These included the sheriff's office, the recorder's office, and the treasurer's office. It also had courtrooms and a jail. Today, the courthouse is a museum. It displays many interesting items from Tombstone's past. This park was one of the first state parks created in Arizona. It opened in 1959, after the Arizona State Parks Board was formed in 1957.
Contents
Why Was the Tombstone Courthouse Built?
The Rise of Tombstone
In 1877, a prospector named Ed Schieffelin found silver in southeastern Arizona. This discovery led to the founding of Tombstone. Many miners rushed to the area, hoping to find their own fortunes. The town grew very quickly. By 1881, Tombstone had more than 7,000 people.
At first, Tombstone was part of Pima County. The county seat, Tucson, was far away. It was a long, difficult two-day trip to get there. Miners and business owners had to travel 150 miles roundtrip. They needed to record their mining claims, property deeds, and other important papers. This long journey was a big problem.
Forming Cochise County
Because of these challenges, the people of Tombstone wanted their own county. In 1881, they voted to separate from Pima County. The state government then created a new county called Cochise County. Tombstone became the main city, or "county seat," for this new county.
With its own county, Tombstone needed a place for its government. So, a new courthouse was built the very next year, in 1882. This building held all the county's offices. The Sheriff of Cochise County had his office on the first floor. The courthouse helped bring order to the growing town. It showed people that problems should be solved in court, not on the streets.
From Courthouse to Museum
Tombstone remained the county seat until 1929. At that time, another town, Bisbee, had grown larger. The county seat was then moved to Bisbee. The last county office left the Tombstone courthouse in 1931.
The building was empty for many years. There was a plan to turn it into a hotel in the 1940s, but it did not work out. In 1955, the Tombstone Restoration Commission took over the building. They started to fix it up. They wanted to turn it into a history museum. Since 1959, it has been a state park. It continues to be a museum today. It shows many exhibits and thousands of items that tell the exciting story of Tombstone's past.
What Does the Courthouse Look Like?
The Tombstone courthouse is a beautiful example of "Territorial Victorian" style. This means it combines local Arizona building styles with popular Victorian designs. It was one of the largest buildings in Arizona Territory when it was built. It is also the oldest courthouse still standing in Arizona.
The building is 76 feet wide. The main part of the cross shape is 40 feet wide. The east and west wings stick out 19 feet and are 30 feet long. The first part built was 88 feet long. An addition for the jail and courtroom made it 116 feet long in total.
It is a two-story building made of red bricks. White stone blocks are used at the corners and to separate the first and second floors. On top, there is a small tower called a cupola. It has a special roof and decorative trim. This trim looks like a "widow's walk," which is a platform often found on old coastal homes.
The windows are evenly spaced and have two parts that slide up and down. They are set in strong frames. The roofline has decorative teeth-like shapes called dentils. These details are repeated on the cupola. The building once had many chimneys, but now only two remain.
Inside, a spiral iron staircase goes up to the courtroom. There used to be another staircase from the jail directly to the prisoner's area in the courtroom.
The main part of the courthouse cost $50,000 to build in 1882. An addition was built in 1904. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This list recognizes important historical places in the United States.
Images for kids
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Former Cochise County Courthouse, now site of Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park
