San Joaquin County Courthouse

San Joaquin County Courthouse. . Charles M. Weber | 1849 , The site of the first courthouse building in San Joaquin County was donated by Captain Charles M. Weber, a German immigrant and founder of Stockton., Captain Weber acquired over 48,000 acres through a Mexican land grant on the east side of the San Joaquin River, and founded Stockton in 1849, negotiating a treaty for the peaceful settlement of the land with a powerful Native American leader. Weber decided on the name Stockton in honor of Commodore Robert F. Stockton who played an important role in the annexation of California by the United States., The City of Stockton was officially incorporated on July 23, 1850. In 1851, the City of Stockton received its charter from the State of California. By 1854, Stockton was the fourth largest city in California. Today, Stockton is the county seat of San Joaquin County., The Suzanne | 1849 , A French brig, the Suzanne, was San Joaquin County’s first courthouse and jail. She was rented from July, 1849 to May, 1851 at a cost of $300 to $500 per month. The ship was run aground in the channel near Center Street and later was moved to Mormon Slough., After the Suzanne was abandoned, court was held in the Central Exchange Saloon and other business houses. Later, the seat of justice became the John McNish Building, jointly occupied by the city and county. The courtroom was moved to the Giraffe Hotel near Main and Center until 1853 when there was enough public interest and financing for the construction of a building expressly for the use of local government., First Courthouse | 1853 , F.E. Corcoran drew the plans of the new courthouse, giving the exterior a Roman-Doric design. The lower floor contained 12 rooms, including two courtrooms and two rooms for the jury. A portico of brick columns marked the entrance at each side of the building. Theodore Winters completed construction of the 60 x 80 foot two story brick building in late 1853 at a cost of $84,000. Although the building was occupied jointly by the city and county, most of the expense was met by the city due to a lack of county revenue., In 1859 the bell tower was installed. A 1,900 pound bell tolled for court sessions until a clock was purchased in 1868. Cracking plaster and loose bricks drove the occupants from the building in the early 1880’s. Offices were temporarily located in the Masonic Temple and later in National Hall. The courthouse was sold as salvage to a local farmer for $1,000. Only the bell and clock tower were saved., Second Courthouse | 1890 , Of all the substantial buildings erected in the late 19th-century boom years in Stockton, this courthouse was the most impressive. The second courthouse was designed by Elijah E. Myers, a leading architect of government buildings in the later half of the 19th century., Among its many marvels was a gas well “providing heat and light without cost to taxpayers” and a statue of the Goddess of Justice, made of gilded zinc atop a dome that rose 172 feet above the street., The building was demolished in 1961 to make room for a new modern courthouse., Third Courthouse | 1964 , After demolition of the second courthouse, ground was broken for construction of the five and a half mission dollar third courthouse in 1961. It was designed by architects Mayo Johnson, DeWolf, Clawsley and Whipple in the mid-century style of modernism., Opened in 1964, it incorporated innovations such as elevators, air-conditioning and telephone systems. It was built as two separate structures with a floating passageway joining the three story Courts Wing and the seven story Administration Wing. The north facing wall contained 15,000 square feet of glass and highly colorful decoration. The Goddess of Justice statue stood on a pedestal at the west entrance., Hunter Square and Plaza | 1900 , Located in the center of Gold Rush era Stockton, the land upon which all three courthouses were built was the largest unbuilt area in the city. Charles Weber agreed to donate the property for the first courthouse on condition that a central plaza be included in the plans, along the lines of traditional Mexican and Spanish towns. Mayor Erastus S. Holden and pioneer vintner George West brought landscaping of the courthouse grounds to completion in 1854., Surrounded by banking and retail concerns, the Plaza was the scene of farmers’ markets, street fairs, concerts and carnivals. Later this area served as a parking lot for the second and third courthouses. It now is home to the fourth courthouse and the original Goddess of Justice Statue.,