San Bernardino County's first public building was the Mormon Council House, which was used as the County Court House for some years. From 1858-62, county business was transacted in a one-story brick residence erected by Q. S. Sparks on the corner of Fifth and E. The supervisors then bought the residence of Charles Glasier, on what was to become the corner of Court and E Streets. In 1874, a two-story frame Court House was erected behind the Glasier home for $25,000, and it can be seen below. It was at this time that Court Street was dedicated, as an entryway to the Court House.
Courthouse, 1874
As the county grew, this court house became inadequate, and the supervisors submitted a proposition to vote bonds to the amount of $125,000 for building a County Jail and rebuilding the County Court House. The amount of the bonds and site chosen met with strong opposition and the supervisors then proposed a bond issue of $75,000, for erection of a Hall of Records. This, too, was voted down, whereupon the officials levied a tax of $40,000 and completed the Hall of Records in 1891. It was opposition to this plan that started the talk in regard to a possible change of county seat and of division of the county into San Bernardino and Riverside.1
The board of supervisors, consisting of William H. Randall, J. N. Victor, J. C. Turner, and I. W. Lord, took the drastic action of levying direct taxes and letting out bids for a new Court House, after bond propositions were twice voted down. In 1892, the second building on the corner of Court and E Streets, of Colton marble and Sespe sandstone, was completed. It was erected in front of the "old" Court House. It served the County until 1927, when the present Court House was erected, where Court Street intersects Arrowhead Avenue.
Standing on the S.E. corner of Court and
E street. On the right is the "new" courthouse of 1892 and to the left is the "old" courthouse of 1874.
E Street looking east. looking east.
1 Brown and Boyd, op. cit., p. 60.
Map | Table of Contents