Linn County is named for Lewis F Linn, who was a United States Senator from Missouri and the author of the Donation Land Act which provided free land to settlers in the West.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Marion County
E – Jefferson County and Deschutes County
S – Lane County
W – Benton County and Polk County
Created: December 28, 1847
County Seat:
Brownsville 1847 – 1851
Albany 1851 – present
County Courthouse – Albany
Location: 300 4th Avenue / Broadalbion Street SW
Built: 1938 – 1940
Style: Neo-Classical Revival
Architect: Tourtellotte and Phillips
Contractor: Stien Brothers and George H Buckler Company
Description: The building faces north and is a two story concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Albany. The building has a raised basement. The north front has a large central porch with four high columns rising to a wide header with clock at the top. There are vertical dividers between the windows on the first and second stories. The roof line is flat. In the interior is the County Circuit Court courtroom. The building houses the County Circuit of the 23rd Judicial District, County Court and County Justice Court. On the west side is an addition.
History: The county was created in 1847 and Brownsville was selected as the county courthouse. The Spaulding school served as the first courthouse. The county seat was moved to Albany in 1851. The second courthouse was built by Monteith Brothers in 1853 but was destroyed by fire in 1861. A third courthouse was built in 1865 and remodeled in 1890 and 1899. The architect was Charles Buggraf. The fourth courthouse was constructed in 1938 to 1940.
County Courthouse – Albany
County Circuit Court courtroom
Picture of Third County Courthouse
Photos taken 2012 and 2015
Images 13*