Garfield County Court House, Pomeroy Downtown Historic District Building #13

Historic District Downtown Building Inventory

Garfield County Courthouse (Site ID 13)
Classification: Historic Contributing

Main Street

In November 1900, the citizens of Garfield County authorized a $20,000 bond for the construction of a new courthouse in Pomeroy to replace the wooden structure that was lost in the 1900 fire. Prominent Albany, Oregon, architect Charles H. Burggraf was hired to design the new courthouse, and bids were open for the project in March 1901. August Use of Spokane was awarded the contract with a bid of $18,783. The specification called for brick and stone construction; the stone was quarried locally from the Valentine Ridge area near the Snake River. The statue of justice that caps the dock tower is only one of twenty statues nationwide where the justice figure is not blindfolded. According to the 2 August 1904 City Council minutes, authorization was given to install a dock in the clock tower.

A Civil War statue, erected by the G.A.R., was placed in front of the courthouse in 1904 at the Fourth of July celebration. Due to deterioration, the statue was removed in the 1950s. In 2000, the VFW Post #2351 and the Garfield County Pioneer Society funded and dedicated a new bronze Civil War statue that now graces the courthouse lawn. The statue rests on top of the original marble base that is engraved with the names of the county's veterans.

Erected in 1901, the two-and-one-half story Queen Anne style Garfield County Courthouse has a flared hiproof with intersecting hips and gables covered with composition asphalt shingles laid in a fish scale design. The brickbuilding has corbeled brick chimneys, overhanging eaves supported by modillions, decorative brick frieze, one-over-one double-hung wood sash windows with flat arch lintels, a double projecting brick stringcourse separating the stories, and an ashlar stone foundation. A three-story clock tower embellishes the front (south) elevation and has a domed roof topped with a justice statute, a clock recessed in a pointed arch, fanlight window, tripartite window on the second story and an open arch in the basement level.

Another polygonal tower with a conical roof is on the west end of the front elevation and has fanlight windows, a frieze with circular recesses, and ornate glass window panes. The east elevation is decorated with a round bay. The south projecting entrance bay is capped with an open porch and rail, and has an arched window above the entrance opening. The main entrance doors are recessed in the bay. A three-story concrete block elevator shaft was added to the rear (north) elevation in June 1999. An expansive terraced lawn area is in front of the courthouse that has a central stairway lined with shrubs leading to the main entrance. Tall coniferous trees are on the west side of the lawn and a bronze Civil War Infantryman statue on the east side. A parking area, excavated in 1949, is on the north side of the courthouse. The Garfield County Courthouse was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.

Accessory Structure: A two-car garage is located west of the courthouse. The building has a gable roof covered with seamed metal siding and wood siding. A small metal shed is south of the garage. Both accessory buildings were constructed outside the period of significance and are Non-Historic, Non-Contributing structures to the site.

Cultural Data based on
research by Donovan & Associates

1901 after the Pomeroy fire. This picture was taken from about where the current Garfield County Courthouse now sits.
The shell of a building with "MERCANTILE COMPANY" still visible is where Meyers' Hardware now is, the tall brick building at the right end of that block is the "Cardwell Building" and one building to its right is the original St. George Hotel (now Hotel Revere) prior to its move south one block.

This view shows an early view, unpainted, of the Garfield County Courthouse Courthouse. This same postcard, but a different copy because the pencil writing is not there has been seen on eBay annotated with "Postally Used, PM 1907".

I am placing this shot of the Garfield County Courthouse between the 1907 shot above and the 1912 based on what's been painted and what hasn't. Also the River Rock that holds up the lawns hasn't been concreted over yet, as in the next picture. Unfortunately the image is small. I wonder if the man on the lawn is an early tourist or perhaps a native Pomeroyite.

1912 or earlier. (Stamp on back is cancelled December, 1912.)

1913/1923

The eBay description of this postcard "This is a real photo postcard that shows a view of the Court House in Pomeroy, Washington. No. 5. Garfield is written on the building. Sent to Miss Edith Harding in Savannah Missouri from Ora. Used in 1923, divided back." The same card was in another eBay auction where it was described as having been cancelled "July 3, 1913."

Taken from the roof of the Hotel Revere, here is Main Street and the Garfield County Courthouse.

This picture has been dated (by ??) as the 1930s.

January 1, 1957, "Down Memory Lane" column reminisced about the painting of the jail in 1932:

article from a 1957 Down Memory Lane column on painting the jail in 1932

"1932--Garfield county jail has been thoroughly renovated, painted and whitewashed, the work having been done by infractors of the law."

From the 1940s, here's yet another picture of an unpainted brick Court House.

From the Early 1940's?

This is the original statue that sat on the lawn of the Courthouse. It can (barely) be seen in some of the postcards on this page.

I don't remember and didn't take note of who sent this to me, but this is the only picture I have with what appears to be some kind of a message or bill board on the County House lawn.

According to the eBay description of this item, this post card was postmarked in 1954.

After Washington state closed the offices of Garfield county Dept. of Public Assistance, the state workers came to Pomeroy for two to four hours a week. Here's a story from April, 1957:

Head of Welfare Has One Problem

(By Dean Rutledge, Welfare Administrator.)

Since the Pomeroy office of the State Department of Public Assistance was closed February 1, 1957, our caseworkers have been vising the commissioners' room in the Garfield County courthouse. Mrs. Edith Pearce, our public assistance caseworker is always available in the commissioners' room on Thursday afternoons from 1:00 to 4:00 p. m. She will not be available in Pomeroy at any other time unless she has made special arrangements to see you.

Miss Jeanette Martin, Child Welfare Caseworker, will be available in the commissioners' room on the first and the third Wednesday afternoons of each month from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. She will not be available at any other time unless it is by special appointment.

We have been able to maintain our regular contacts with Public Assistance applicants and recipients under this new arrangement. In addition, we have been able to increase our overall efficiency in both Garfield and Asotin counties by combining all our staff in the Clarkston office as well as reduce the cost of the total assistance programs by closing the Pomeroy office.

There is, however, one problem that must be corrected. Many persons have been calling county officials who have their offices in the courthouse, asking them to call the caseworker to the telephone or leaving messages that they want given to the caseworker. These county officials have been very cooperative and patient in calling the caseworkers to the telephone and in relaying your messages but this is not their job. Any time you call a county official and ask that he call the caseworker to the telephone, you are not only interrupting him in the job he is doing, but you are tying up his telephone. For this reason we are asking you not to call caseworkers by telephone in Pomeroy. We are also notifying county officials that they are to tell anyone who calls that the caseworkers cannot be reached by telephone in Pomeroy.

If you must contact your caseworker, then it will be necessary that you call at the courthouse in person. In case of emergency, then you should call our office in Clarkston, Plaza 8-5503. If you cannot come into the interviewing center in Pomeroy, then you should notify our Clarkston office by card or letter and a home visit will be made.

A front page article in the October 31, 1957, issue of the East Washingtonian announced the good news.

FOR COURTHOUSE STATUE—This is the bust of Governor Samuel G. Cosgrove now ready for casting and which some day will appear on top of the old granite civil war memorial on the Garfield county courthouse lawn. For years Judge E. V. Kuykendall has backed the making of the statue and the bust of Cosgrove has now been completed by the internationally famous sculptor, Dr. Avard Fairbanks. Because of the judge's long illness, C. A. McCabe has now been named to head the committee. Approximately $1,000 is needed in order for the bust to be cast.

Cosgrove who was born in 1847 in Ohio came to Pomeroy in 1882 where he opened a law office. In 1908 he was elected governor of the state of Washington but served only a few months when death took him in late March of 1909. He was a civil war veteran, enlisting in the Union army at 16 in 1863 and serving until 1865. He was active in the GAR, in Garfield county.

Undated, but still unpainted.

An article in an August, 1975, issue of the E-W gives us this information on the statue and the monument:

Remember the Civil War Soldiers?

"The Civil War veterans monument on the Garfield County Courthouse lawn was erected by the Grand Army of the Republic in 1905 to honor veterans who had moved to Garfield County. Because of this it is an unusual monument. The photo [above] shows it during the 1930's before the face was damaged and the soldier taken down, around 1940, according to Bob Beale who supplied the photo. The four sides each name veterans and their detachments. How many do you remember?

"Front side, facing south: Roster of Deceased Comrades: Michael Collins, David Garrett, Cyrenus Hand, Thomas Ryan, Col. R.R. Spedden, John W. Conwell.

"East side, Roster, Ex. Soldiers buried in Garfield County, non-members of post: J. Ashcraft, J. Ankrim, J.C. Bramley, H. Henderson, R.H. Howard, N. Kassell, J.F. Kidwell, J.W. Killen, F.R. King, Ranson Long, T. J. Mewhinney, W.P. McKey, A.G. McPherson, S.L.Nye, N.S. Patterson, W.C. Potter, D.H. Poyner, Joel Shearer, Henry Snodderly, J. Thomalson, Eli Thornton, James Waugh, N.C. Williams.

"Back side, north, Roster, McDowell Post No. 22, Department Washington & Alaska (G.A.R.): John W. Ball, C.H. Bingham, G.W. Black, J.D. Brooks, John C. Burns, Joseph Clarey, M.M. Corey, S.G. Cosgrove, Patrick Fitzgerald, J.P. Freeburn, F.W. Geiger, G.D. Gibson, Frank Gowen, E. Halterman, J.W. Hardin, S.K. Hull, G.W. James, Leroy Johnson, A.H. Keith, J.G. Kimball, Peter Kuhn, J. T. Malcolm, D.B. Messenger, R. Messenger, Joseph Miles, Lieut. John Mitchell, H.M. Morris, N. Morris, Frank McNeal, W.R. Neal, G.R. Pomeroy, J.B. Purcell, John R. Roth, Michael Russell, I.H. Shreffler, D.H. Teetrick, H.C. Thompson, John Thompson, J.H. Walker, George Zinn.

"West side, Ex soldiers living in Garfield County, non-members of post: George Bagley, Peter Brady , C.D. Burt, L.B. Courtney, William Gammon, John W. Grayson, S. Hays, Henry Hender, R.S. Howard, M.N. Jeffreys, D.P. Kidwell, S.L. Malcolm, P.G. Miller, John Mitchell, Henry Mulch, W.T. McFall, Joseph Nevil."

Garfield County Court House, photo by Florence Sherfey

Now we jump a bit in years to the mid '70s. This picture was taken by Florence Sherfey to illustrate her book This Was Their Time, still the definitive popular history of Pomeroy. The picture quality isn't that good, but it's obvious that this building could disappear in a snowdrift.

An article from mid-March, 1980,:

Courthouse hearing draws small crowd

Monday's public hearing on restoration of the courthouse was attended by only about 15 people, but the board of county commissioners apparently were able to learn some of the public's ideas on how the building should be improved.

Barbara McClanahan and Barbara Bartels circulated sketches of the several local residents to draw up paint scheme ideas. Of 11 submitted, most people at the meeting preferred a tan scheme with brownish trim, with the trim paint to accent more of the building's fancywork. Second choice was leaving it as it is now. Third choice was painting it brick red.

The vote is not binding and the commissioners took no action during the hearing. However, the commissioners said brick red, without painting the mortar a different color, would make the building look like a barn.

Stephen Mathison of the state Office of Achaeology and Historic Preservation briefly explained the grant which has been offered to Garfield County. The grant, for $22,961, must be matched by an equal or greater amount of local funds. The grant monies come from the Federal Historic Preservation Fund and are available because the county courthouse is on the national Register of Historic Places. Even so, it is one of only a few projects in the state funded.

Mathison said there is considerable paperwork involved, as with all grants, but he believes it is worth the effort. His office, he said, will try to "be agreeable" with the county.

EW Staff Photographer

Barbara McClanahan, left, and Barbara Bartels look over some of the courthouse paint designs that were prepared by local residents prior to Monday's public hearing on renovation of the courthouse. Mrs. Bartels and Mrs. McClanahan circulated the sketches and obtained a few pictures of the courthouse in the 1930's for display at the hearing.

Asked to comment on the color to be used, he said his office preferred local residents make that decision. His office, however, has the right to overrule if it considers a selection to not be appropriate.

The grant is meant to restore the courthouse to the paint scheme used when it was first painted in the 1930s. Mathison said since there is no special reason that it has to be exactly as it was in the 1930s, the county has a little leeway on the scheme. The colors suggested would probably be acceptable, he said. Several residents who lived in the county in the 1930s testified that the building was painted a tan color and it never has been painted a dark color.

One scheme that was preferred had the stone foundations painted dark brown, which Mathison didn't like. However, others in the audience pointed out that the stones had been painted blue-gray before, and asked what the difference was? Mathison said he preferred a more subdued, natural color for stone.

Gayle Tardif warned against using colors that are subject to severe fading, while still trying to select a color that would not be objectionable to residents of the county. Commissioner Lester Geiger agreed, but did explain that this hearing was designed to give the public a chance to comment, but most didn't show up.

Mathison was asked how the building should be prepared for painting, since the peeling that is now occurring indicates the building was not well-prepared last time. He said the specifications his office issues call for pressure washing of the entire building, bristle brushing of loose areas, with wire brushes used only in the most severe spots. Any paint that survives will probably hold and can be left.

He said in some instances, paint is removed at lower levels simply to keep a smooth surface. This is not a requirement of the grant, but is acceptable.

Mathison also suggested that color decision be based upon available shades from paint companies. "While they say they can mix anything, it is better to work from color chips from the paint companies." He explained that on the west side, a building had originially been painted purple-gray and the paint company was unable to make a match.

The life-span of the paint should be a minimum of 10 years and it could last 15 years, he said. Returning the building to natural brick-which is not permitted under the grant--would require a brick sealer every three to five years. This is necessary no matter what procedure is used to clean the brick-sand blasting or chemical paint removal.

"The paint companies say they now have sealers to protect brick, but the best literature I've read says the sealers wear out in about three to five years, so you would have to have a regular maintenance schedule."

Slides were shown which depicted some possible color combinations for buildings similar to the county courthouse. The slides were provided by Bob Spaulding, historical preservation officer for Walla Walla. Spaulding was here several months ago and showed numerous slides of other buildings that had been restored in Ellensburg, and other Washington communities, and several communities in California.

From the East Washingtonian's front page during August, 1980:

Courthouse project completion nears

Garfield County's courthouse restoration project is expected to be completed by this weekend and county officials have expressed the belief that the county got its money's worth.

"We got all this for $60,000," said Lester Geiger, Monday, as the commissioners were inspecting the work. Workers of Puget Sound Masonry and Restoration, Inc., still had more work to do, but the mam parts of the project—the windows, exterior walls, insulation and metal and wood work have for the most part been completed.

The commissioners expressed belief that the new paint job would last a long time, since the brick were retucked and resealed before painting The contractor estimated the paint job would last eight to 15 years.

The work is being done with $30,000 in federal historic preservation funds, plus $30,000 in local revenues. A few changes approved after the work began will cost the county about $1,000 more, part of which may qualify for federal funds.

Puget Sound Masonry had five persons working on the project, plus two subcontractors Evanger Construction of Seattle, doing the window repairs; and Lloyd Crawford of Pomeroy, doing the ceiling insulation.

This week, workers are painting the trim and railing around the building, replacing roofing as needed, and installing another down spout on the front of the building.

The commissioners Monday voted to purchase a new boiler and future work includes a fire escape on the back of the building. The fire escape is to be salvaged from the old Pomeroy High School. The door that formerly led to Ed Stanfill's elevator will provide access to the fire escape.

With all the work going on with the 1980 update of the Garfield County Courthouse, Mike Denuty focused on what he could see (through). From September 25:

Window Workers

Window frames are one of several items being improved as part of a $60,000 contract to refinish the exterior of the courthouse. The windows are in better condition than originally estimated, so work on them should be completed soon. However, some of the brick is damaged and will have to be repaired, according to Couny Engineer John Pinner.

According to an article in an August, 1982, issue of the East Washingtonian, county commissioners had recently met with Pomeroy mayor Wynne McCabe to discuss putting the bust of Governor Cosgrove on the plinth that formerly held the Civil War veteran statue.

I'm not sure where this image came from, but a relatively new picture as Governor Cosgrove has been replaced by the Civil War soldier. It looks like the giant evergreens were still there as well.

During a windy storm in Pomeroy early in 2003, the scales of justice were knocked off the statue on top of the Courthouse. They were reattached during June 2003. According to former Judge William Acey of the Hells Canyon Circuit Court there are only 14 "Unblinded" Justice statues on court houses across the U.S. and 4 of them are in SE Washington. Pomeroy has one and the Columbia County Court House in Dayton has two.

When the Civil War veteran statue was replaced, poor Governor Cosgrove was relegated to apparently climbing out of a manhole in front of the Garfield County Museum. (He doesn't look too happy about the displacement.)

Here's the plaque that described the Governor.

This picture was taken on Christmas eve, 2008, during one of the worst winters in recent history

Wandering Pomeroy's Main Street

← Richardson Building

Stevenson Hardware/Chard Bldg. →

POMEROY WEATHER

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This Web site has been financed by Castlemoyle Books and Gifts for the Pomeroy Historic Preservation Committee.
The Committee gratefully acknowledges donations of time, photographs, scans, and other
assistance from the Garfield County Museum and individual citizens of Pomeroy and Garfield County.

The Pomeroy Historic Preservation Committee
66 South 7th Street
Pomeroy WA 99347