Face-Lift Will Keep History Intact at Old Courthouse

The clock in the Mariposa County courthouse tower struck noon and the old white clapboard structure shook mildly.

“Happens every time. When the bell tolls, the courthouse rocks,” said Superior Court Judge Richard McMechan as he stood beside the potbellied stove next to the ancient benches in his second-floor courtroom.

McMechan, 50, called it a great honor to preside “in the oldest courtroom in continuous operation in the West. This place reeks of history.”

For the first time since it was built in 1854 at a cost of $9,200, the courthouse--like the courtroom, the oldest in the West--is undergoing a major renovation.

Because of the building’s historic significance, two grants totaling $150,000 were awarded by the state Department of Parks and Recreation and another $40,000 by the county for the restoration.

“Nothing is being changed,” emphasized county historian Scott Pinkerton, 63, who heads a local committee that makes certain that the historic integrity remains intact.

Foundation Shored Up

To ensure the continuing stability of the 135-year-old building, the original rock foundation has been shored up with cement. Torn wallpaper hung in 1912 has been replaced with paper of similar design.

Studs and framing in the building are still held together with wooden pegs, not nails. The original clapboard on the outside and siding on the inside are fastened with square nails. The building has been repainted inside and out in its original colors.

The potbellied stove, the Seth Thomas clock, the 1854 court benches, the original furniture and furnishings in the Board of Supervisors’ room, the county clerk’s office and the law library have been refinished.

A small museum includes an exhibit of early cattle brands.

Another exhibit shows the changing map of Mariposa County, beginning in 1850 when California became a state and Mariposa County stretched from the Coast Range to the Nevada border and south to present-day Los Angeles County. At the time, Mariposa was one of California’s original 27 counties, and occupied 20% of the state, more than 30,000 square miles. It has shrunk to a mere 1,455 square miles but contributed to the creation or addition of 11 other counties, which has earned it the nickname of Mother of California Counties.

At a recent weekly Board of Supervisors’ meeting, veteran Supervisor Eugene Dalton, 50, observed:

“With only 15,000 people and no incorporated cities Mariposa County and its courthouse are tied very much to the past. Everything here is informal. People with everyday problems turn to the supervisors for help. They call us at home, stop us on the street or swing by the courthouse. We’re small enough for that kind of a relationship.”