County Courthouses of Utah - A Photographic Essay

Many early courthouses have been replaced or remodeled over the years. The 1890 Davis County Courthouse, designed by Kaysville architect William Allen, was altered beyond recogniton during a 1931-32 expansion and remodeling. Photographs accompanying this article arefrom USHS collections unless credited otherwise.

County Courthouses of Utah-A Photographic Essay

BY ROGER ROPER

COUNTY COURTHOUSES ARE AMONG THE ROYALTY OF Utah architecture. Only the State Capitol, major religious buildings, a few collegiate structures, and a handful of other buildings rival or overshadow them in scale, visibility, and architectural distinction. In smaller communities, Beaver, Farmington, and Junction, for example, they dominate the civic landscape. Their presence confirms a city's status as county seat, a chosen elite among its neighboring cities

The general trend of courthouse architecture has been from simple to more complex. Many of the first courthouses were boxlike rectangular buildings with restrained classical detailing on the exterior and a single room on the interior. They often served multiple purposes in a community, housing civic, social, and even religious functions. Later, as counties became more populous and the role of government more pervasive, courthouses became larger and more complex. They contained offices designed specifically for the county officials—recorder, assessor, clerk, treasurer, and so forth—and a separate courtroom. Offices were usually located on the main floor, the courtroom and judges chambers on the second floor, and the jail and sheriff's offices in the basement. Basement jails were apparently not always adequate, so separate jails were subsequently built behind many courthouses.

Although there were no written guidelines for courthouse construction, there was apparently a basic understanding of what constituted an appropriate design and setting, especially in the nineteenth century when most of Utah's first courthouses were built. They were always centrally located within the city, usually near the principal intersection, and often adjacent to the church and other principal buildings. Courthouses in Coalville, Price, and Provo, for example, were located across the street from LDS tabernacles, while the one in Heber City shared the same block with the Wasatch Stake Tabernacle.

The setting of courthouses also reinforced their important and central role in their communities. They were usually set farther back from the street than adjacent buildings, often in the middle of a large, well-landscaped lot. In larger counties, such as Salt Lake, Utah, and Weber, they occupied an entire city block This drew attention to the building and created an atmosphere of distinction and respect for the activities of county government carried on within.

In terms of styling, courthouses generally conformed to the architectural conventions of the period in which they were built. The earliest examples in Utah were usually either Federal or Greek Revival style buildings. These styles were common for most other Utah buildings during the 1847-70s period as well Americans embraced these "classical" styles into the late nineteenth century, especially for civic architecture, as symbols of ancient republics and of the New World democracy they had formed

In the late 1800s new architectural styles emerged that communities deemed sufficiently dignified and appropriate for courthouses. These included Victorian designs with towers and elaborate detailing, as found in Beaver and Piute counties, and the round arches and sandstone textures of the Richardsonian Romanesque style exhibited on the Summit County Courthouse and the Salt Lake City and County Building, Utah's foremost example of the style.

Twentieth-century courthouses tended to be larger than those built in the 1800s, reflecting again the growth of population and government A number constructed in the 1910-30s replaced earlier buildings that were too small or outmoded for modern county operations The newer structures also had a more horizontal emphasis, as opposed to the vertical appearance of the Victorian-era buildings. (This shift toward the horizontal is also visible in schools of the period.) A horizontal layout reduced the number of floors—and stairs— by providing more office space on each floor.

Architectural styles for twentieth-century courthouses were derived from both historical and modern sources. The Neoclassical Revival style of the early 1900s (good examples include those in Utah and Box Elder counties) was a more elaborate expression of the simple classicism of Utah's first courthouses, while the Art Deco (Weber County) and PWA Moderne styles of the1930s (Sanpete, Grand, and Wayne counties) reflect new trends in architecture.1

The county courthouses highlighted on the following pages include only those that have been recognized for their historic and architectural significance by designation to the National Register of Historic Places.2 These buildings exhibit a level of architectural dignity in keeping with their role as cornerstones of the American governmental system. Newer courthouses often lack this character. The newer buildings express efficiency and functionality but fail to awaken the almost religious emotions evoked in many older courthouses, which communicate very clearly that they are special places worthy of admiration and respect.

NOTES

Mr. Roper is coordinator of the historic preservation program of the Utah Division of State History Most of the information for this article was drawn from National Register forms on file in the preservation office.

1 For more information on architectural styles see Peter L Goss and Thomas Carter, Utah's Historic Architecture, 1847-1940: A Guide (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Graduate School of Architecture and Utah State Historical Society, 1988).

2 Other courthouses are eligible, but nomination forms were not completed at this writing.