San Bernardino County Courthouse, San Bernardino, San Bernardino County

San Bernardino County Courthouse

An earthquake on July 22, 1923, damaged several San Bernardino county buildings, with the courthouse, hall of records and county hospital chief among them. After consulting with structural engineers from Los Angeles, the Supervisors turned to local architect Howard E. Jones to submit proposals for remodeling the old courthouse and building an entirely new structure. Ultimately, Jones received the contract to design a new building in 1925. He is said to have drawn inspiration from the 1893 World Columbian Exposition in Chicago and the City Beautiful movement in designing the Classical Revival building that has served as the center of county government since late 1926. The courthouse is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

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San Bernardino, San Bernardino County
Photographer: John Bare