The Jefferson County Courthouse
majestically overlooks Port Townsend
Bay and the entrance to Admiralty Inlet.
Approved for construction in 1890 by the Jefferson County Commissioners, the Romanesque style courthouse, brainchild of Seattle architect W. A. Ritchie, was let out to contractors at an estimated cost of $150,000.00.

Reportedly $117,600.00 was designated for the building and $17,287.00 for the jail in 1892, which was located in the South half of the basement.  John Rigby, Bldg. Contractor, and C. P. Wakeman, Supt. of Construction, were the contractors.

While the deep red, smooth bricks were
shipped in from St. Louis, some 786 tons
of sandstone were brought in from Alaska. Corridor walls were accented with wainscoting and in the two main halls geometrically patterned quarry tile floors were laid.  The counters in the offices were modular units of oak that could be reassembled and all were faced with rose marble.
The courtroom, housed on the second floor, still displays panels of intricately carved solid oak.

The addition of automatic openers on the main entrance doors enabled the removal of an attached “woodshed” put up years before as a windbreak. The homely structure was known locally as the “Outhouse”, and with its removal the beautiful arched entry could again be viewed.

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