Former Klamath County Courthouse - Klamath County Museum - Klamath Falls, OR
N 42° 13.716 W 121° 46.503
10T E 601084 N 4675884
These remnants of a former courthouse building now reside at the Klamath County Museum in downtown Klamath Falls, OR.
Waymark Code: WMJCPY
Location: Oregon, United States
Date Posted: 10/30/2013
Views: 2
Tucked away outside of the
Klamath County Museum are architectural remnants of a former courthouse that was erected in the early 1900s, not far from the Museum, only to be torn down after a bitter long-term dispute between government entities. There is a placard next to these remnants that reads:
Fragments of bygone glory
These fragments of architectural columns serve as a reminder of times when modern buildings were frequently designed in the style of ancient Greek or Roman temples.
At least two buildings in Klamath features massive columns in the early 1900s - the main office of the local power company [now gone and replaced by the current Fisher Nicholson Realtor office at the corner of Main and 4th], and a partially completed county courthouse that was never occupied. Both buildings were imposing structures on the local landscape.
These fragments likely came from the courthouse building, although no records about these artifacts have been preserved.
A grand structure never used
One of the most popular stories of local history is a great courthouse battle of the 1920s. For several years, Klamath County had three courthouse buildings including the one shown above, constructed in the Hot Springs district. After a long dispute over which new courthouse to use, the Hot Springs Courthouse was eventually torn down to make way for Klamath Union School.
There is a wonderful series of historical booklets titled Klamath Echoes and one of the issues highlights the decade-plus long dispute that existed between the city and the county during the construction of this former courthouse. I'll post some key excerpts from the story here soon.