Marion County Courthouse, Salem, Oregon - Courthouses on Waymarking.com

Salem's third courthouse was built on the same plot as the first two. In the 1840s, W. H. Willson had deeded the land to be used for 'public use'. While the first two structures were noted for having some esthetic qualities, fear of losing the land caused the county to demolish each structure when a newer one was needed.

Marion County and Salem were each in a period of rapid growth after World War II. The old courthouse, which had also housed the county administration since 1873, had been modified several times to handle the infrastructure. But the need to have a building designed for electricity, telephones and a much larger population was strong. The county first considered selling the prime real estate or preserving the old structure as a museum, and building elsewhere, but the possibility of violating the terms of the deed caused a change of heart.

The new building was designed by noted architect Pietro Belluschi and completed in 1954. Some have described the structure as 'mid-20th Century nuclear bunker' style, with square, flat walls and minimal ornamentation. Unfortunately, the current structure, which may be one of the ugliest buildings ever, seems to be set for a long stay.

Even though the building had nearly four times the space as it's predecessor, having the courthouse, jail and county offices in one space proved too much. First, a main jail was constructed east of the city, and the old cells used mostly for short term holding. And in 2000, the county dedicated a courthouse annex building across the street, which would now house all county departments other than the courts. The building is now simply the home of the Marion County Circuit Court, third Judicial District of Oregon. As such, the court handles everything in between traffic citations and federal cases. It is sometimes used for cases from smaller outlying counties with insufficient infrastructure to handle security, media or other needs.