The original wood-frame courthouse,
located on the same site as the present structure, was destroyed by fire
in 1900. This fire consumed the core of the Pomeroy business
district. Fortunately, most of the records were stored safely in
fireproof vaults.
In November of that year, a special
election was held to vote on a bond issue for $20,000 to construct a new
building. The
County Commissioners opened bids on March 3, 1901 and awarded the contract
to August Ilse of Spokane.
The contracted price of $18,783,
while certainly a bargain by today's standards, was also a good deal back
then. This eye-catching brick and stone building could be built for
that price due to the low costs of labor and materials. The stone
used in the Courthouse was quarried from the Valentine area, near the
Snake River.
The Garfield County Courthouse was
placed on the National Register on July 24, 1974, by the National Park
Service, United States Department of the Interior. It was noted that
"this property possesses exceptional value in commemorating or illustrating
American history."
If you look closely at the statue of
justice, which sits atop the Courthouse's tower, you will notice that she
is not blindfolded. This is a rarity: a nationwide survey
found only twenty other "un-blind" justices.
