Jackson County Courthouse - Jacksonville Historic District - Jacksonville, Oregon
Posted by: 
ddtfamily
N 42° 18.879 W 122° 57.926
10T E 502848 N 4684712
Served as Jackson County Courthouse from 1884 until the county seat was moved to Medford in 1926
Waymark Code: WMG047
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 12/26/2012
Views: 2
When gold was discovered near Jacksonville in 1852, the gold rush that followed led to Jacksonville's rapid growth as the most important town between Portland and San Francisco. In 1884, work was completed on the new Jackson County Courthouse; ironically, that same year the Oregon-California Railroad line bypassed Jacksonville, establishing a depot about five miles to the east. That decision led to the rise of Medford as the dominant economic power in the region and the decline of Jacksonville. In 1926, county residents voted to move the county seat to Medford.
This building was designed by G.E. Payne and noted local brick mason George Holt, who also did the work for the United States Hotel, presided over the brickwork.
The fate of this courthouse building has been in the balance through the years. For several decades, the building served as the Jacksonville Museum, but was closed a few years ago due to funding shortfalls. Today, the courthouse is no longer open to the public but can be rented for community events.