Territorial Courthouse

Whatcom County Courthouse, Fall 1888

Old County Courthouse in 1998

    The first brick building known to be constructed in Washington Territory was built in Whatcom in 1858. The Fraser River Gold Rush was in full sway, and gold-seekers poured into the small town upon Bellingham Bay, swelling its population to an estimated 10,000 people in just a few short weeks. Many were miners, intent upon sluicing out the raw metal, while many others were merchants, saloonkeepers, and boarding house operators aiming for the easier gold pouring out of the miner's pockets.
    One of these merchant groups was the partnership of Thomas G. and Charles E. Richards, brothers from San Francisco. In July, according to The Northern Light , construction was started on the brick building located on E street. In August, just as the gold fever was dying down and the boom went bust, the firm of T.G. Richards & Co. opened the "fireproof brick warehouse" for business. Charles Richards and John G. Hyatt ran a business here for a time, and in 1863 the building was sold to Whatcom County for use as a courthouse. It served in this capacity until roughly 1890, when work on a new building was begun a few streets away. Since then the building has seen veterans of the American Civil War march through its doors, the secret society of the Junior Order of United American Mechanics, members of a Bellingham church holding services in the building, the taxidermist work of Carl Akers and family, and assorted small businesses afterwards. The "old courthouse", as it is fondly referred to, is one of the most historically significant landmarks in Washington history, and deserves a chance at another 140+ years. For more information on the history of this building, please download the MS Word file "History of the T.G. Richards & Co. Building" , (3.5 MB file). New versions will be uploaded as more information is found.

If you would like a paper copy, please send an email to editor@whatcomhistory.net with your address, or write to:

Matthew Aamot
8851 Custer School Road
Custer, WA 98240

The Whatcom County Historical Society is sponsoring a Territorial Courthouse Taskforce to study the feasibility of restoring and owning the old courthouse. We are entering our 2nd year of working together and have made significant progress towards our goals of researching and promoting our project. Volunteers are needed in many areas to help with our effort to preserve and restore this Whatcom County treasure. Opportunities include:

• Grant Research and Writing
• Structural Assessment and Historic Structures Report
• Historical Research
• Fundraising
• Promotions and Public Relations

To find out more or to get involved, please contact Taskforce Chair Katie Franks at kefranks@serv.net or Matt at editor@whatcomhistory.net.