Okanogan County - American Courthouses

Okanogan County is named for the Salish Native American word meaning “rendezvous”

Surroundimng County Courthouses:

N – British Columbia, Canada

E – Ferry County

S – Lincoln County, Douglas County and Chelan County

W – Chelan County, Skagit County and Whatcom County

Created: February 2, 1888

County Seat:

Ruby City 1888

Conconully 1888 – 1914

Okanogan 1914 – present

County Courthouse – Okanogan

Location: 149 North 3rd Avenue / North Pine Street

Built: 1915 – 1916

Style: Spanish Mission

Architect: George H Keith of Spokane

Contractor: D Davenport of Omak

Description: The building faces southeast and is a three story gray stucco and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds on a hillside in the center of Okanogan. The southeast front has a central tower with clock rising to a smaller tower at the top. The first story entrance is arched and projects from the bottom of the tower. There is red colored trim around the windows and a horizontal red band above the first story. The roof has dormers and a red roof. The interior has a central lobby detailed in wood leading to a stairway. The County District Court courtroom is located on the southwest side of the third story and is decorated with plaster pilasters and cornice and has a fifteen foot coved ceiling. The County Superior Court courtroom is located on the northeast side of the third story. On the second story is a small courtroom located on the southwest side. The building houses the County Superior Court and the County District Court. On the north side is a three story addition constructed in 1949 to 1950 as the County Courthouse Annex. The architect was L Solberg of Wenatchee. On the south side is a modern two story addition. On the south side is the County Jail and to the north is the County Administration Building constructed in 1978.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Okanogan County Coutyhouse

History: The county was created in 1888 and Ruby was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a log cabin. In 1889, the county seat was moved to Conconully and space was rented. The second courthouse was a two story frame structure built on Mineral Hill at a cost of $2,495 in 1891. In 1914, the county seat was moved to Okanogan. The county offices were located in the old Freer store building, which had been fixed up as a temporary courthouse. A makeshift jail was fixed up in the Miller Building and court was held in the city council chamber. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1914 to 1915 at a cost of $37,018. The cost of the 1950 County Courthouse Annex was $225,000.