King County Courthouse

Created in 1876, King County organized in 1891. Its first courthouse, a two-story frame structure, was destroyed in 1905 by a tornado. The next house of justice, built of sandstone, burned in 1914. That same year, the county hired Fort Worth architect Ernest E. Churchill to design a new courts building. The two-story concrete structure served as the courthouse until 1982, when the county converted it to a library and built a new courthouse. The Classical Revival edifice exhibits prairie-style influences. Today, it remains a testament to the aspirations of early 20th-century King County residents. (1962).