Marin County is named for the word “marina” as the county is situate on the San Francisco Bay.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Sonoma County
W – Pacific Ocean
Created: February 18, 1850 
County Seat:
San Rafael 1850 – present
County Courthouse – San Rafael
Location: 3501 Civic Center Drive / North San Pedro Road
Built: 1966 – 1969
Style: Modern
Architect: Frank Lloyd Wright and Aaron Green
Contractor: Robert E. McKee of Dallas, Texas
Description: The building faces west and is a four story concrete and glass structure. The building is constructed on spacious grounds over the rolling hills north of the center of San Rafael and extends north and then northwest. The Hall of Justice was begun in 1966 and completed in 1969. Veterans Memorial Auditorium opened in 1971 and the Exhibit Hall opened in 1976. The building houses the County Superior Court.
See: The county is located in the 1st Appellate District of the Court of Appeal – San Francisco.
History: The county was created in 1850 and San Rafael was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was Timothy Murphy’s abode, a converted group of adobe buildings at 4th Street and C Street in the center of San Rafael. The second courthouse was a two story Neoclassical structure at 4th Street and A Street designed by Henry Kenitzer and Edward T Raun and constructed by A G Fitzpatrick in 1872 at a cost 0f $60,000. Additions were added in 1905 and 1942. The building burned in 1971. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1960 to 1962. The cost of construction of the Hall of Justice wing in 1966 to 1969 was $11,756,000.
County Courthouse – San Rafael
Photos taken 2015
Images 10