Mariposa County
Court House
California's oldest seat of justice still in used.
The front half, the original building, completed in 1854,
cost $9,200. The lumber was sash-sawed from nearby
forests; framework fastened with mortised joints and
wooden pegs. Finishing lumber was hand-planed and
nailed with square-cut nails. A fire-proof brick vault
to protect records, added in 1861, was later enlarged.
The English-made clock with its 267 lb. bell in the
cupola, was installed in 1866 and has been faithfully
tolling each hour since.
The courtroom, scene of many famous legal battles,
civil and criminal, remains the same as in pioneer days,
with the original seats, tables and judge's bench.
