No. Just plain no. This place pretty much amalgamates everything I don’t like about certain courthouses. It’s got this ancient 1950s/1960s craptastic style. There are areas made from corrugated tin plating that are visible from the street. Oh, and Future Arborists of America, attend! This is exactly what you don’t want to do if you … Continue reading 755. Ellensburg, Kittitas County (WA22) →

The courthouse is what it is. I originally thought it was more modern, but it was built in the 1940s. That is neither a compliment nor an excuse. When I thought it was modern, the “faux brick” was the only saving grace in my eyes. Now that I know it’s not faux, I almost feel … Continue reading 754. Yakima, Yakima County (WA21) →

The courthouse was lovely! Art Deco, with white and blue highlights, immediately reminded me of some courthouses I had seen in western Kansas. The town, on the other hand, was not as nice. It’s trying to make itself more interesting, dare I say “hip,” but you can see the obvious divide between where hipness has … Continue reading 753. Goldendale, Klickitat County (WA20) →

Once again, the courthouse was interesting for a place so incredibly small. It looked every bit as large as its population of 324 would suggest. The drive into Moro, on the other hand, was beautiful, skirted not by the brown grass I had begun to see as I approached eastern Washington, but by fields of … Continue reading 752. Moro, Sherman County (OR06) →

Again, I find myself impressed with the courthouse, but in a general small-town way, not in a specific feature-laden way.  The town itself was much hipper than Hood River had been, but it seemed to be more hip for its own sake, not hip for the sake of the outdoorsy folks like Hood River.  I … Continue reading 751. The Dalles, Wasco County (OR05) →

I like the courthouse; it's a nice Art Deco throwback.  It also showed me that I’m starting to get good at this entire courthouse thing.  I could just tell it was a throwback, but I didn’t have any legit proof.  It could have been older but well maintained.  Further research revealed that this one was … Continue reading 750. Hood River, Hood River County (OR04) →

As we all know, I’m not a big fan of modern courthouses, but this one is nice. Simplistic and to the point. I wonder what kind of older courthouse was here before (I have no doubt there was one) or what happened to it. In the end, that’s not really important, I guess. This one … Continue reading 749. Stevenson, Skamania County (WA19) →

The courthouse is not bad, an old remnant of the small town that the new hipster giant, Portland, has surrounded.  It was neither especially laudable nor detestable.  That’s enough, especially out here.  Normally, I care a bit more about the courthouse, but the cache was far more important in this case.  As mentioned, anyone who … Continue reading 748. Oregon City, Clackamas County (OR03) →

The courthouse is a relatively non-impressive skyscraper-type thing. That is to be expected. Cities of size and import have so much going on both legally and administratively that something more classic and romantic (from a courthouse perspective) isn’t really to be expected. And yet, we have seen examples that put the lie to that thinking. … Continue reading 747. Portland, Multnomah County (OR02) →

This is a little different, but nice, no?  Art Deco but shaped in (faux) clay?  I’m not a fan of courthouses looking like office buildings, but this makes for quite a look. Everyone keeps mentioning Lewis and Clark around here!  I didn’t even know Shari Lewis and Dick Clark ever worked together!   When I originally conceived this … Continue reading 746. Vancouver, Clark County (WA18) →