San Mateo County's Courthouse

Anyone of a certain age surely has childhood memories of the Fourth of July. Maybe even a scar from a wayward sparkler? Many monumental projects have been started on July 4 with a ceremonial turning up of the first shovelful of dirt. On July 4, 1817, work began on the Erie Canal. On July 4, 1828, the first railroad in America, the Baltimore and Ohio, began service. On July 4, 1850, the cornerstone was laid for the Washington Monument. On July 4, 1910, the fourth edition of the San Mateo County Courthouse was dedicated in Redwood City.

The very first County Courthouse was built in 1858, constructed on land donated by Simon Mezes, a man central in the development of Redwood City. This full city-block of property is bordered by Broadway, Hamilton Street, Marshall Street and Middlefield Road. In 1860, a large bell was installed in the courthouse and used to call jurors to duty and to alert firemen in case of fires. This original building was badly damaged by an earthquake on Oct. 21, 1868. The second-story had to be removed and the first story reconfigured to house offices and courtrooms. In 1882, a second courthouse was built in front of the remains of the first structure. This new courthouse was called "The Justice Court” because of the 12-foot wooden stature of Lady Justice on the roof, welcoming citizens. Neighborhood cows were not welcome, however, and a sturdy fence around the lawn enforced the bovine prohibition. They had to graze elsewhere.

It wasn’t long before problems surfaced in Courthouse No. 2. Storage space for records was inadequate and not secure. The jail, located in the basement, was overcrowded and also not secure. In 1903, construction began on Courthouse No. 3. It was scheduled to open in April of 1906. On April 18, the infamous San Francisco earthquake shook a lot more than San Francisco.

The brand-new courthouse was badly damaged, the magnificent dome and rotunda, swaying ominously during the quake, caused further damage to the building with each shudder.

Back to the drawing board. The courts and the jail moved to various temporary quarters around Redwood City. Incredibly, there were some parts of the interior of courthouse No. 3 that could be saved, including the great dome. Reconstruction was completed in late May 1910 and the first court business was scheduled for June 30. The official dedication was on July 4, 1910.

In 1939, the WPA built the South Annex, a blocky structure, right in front of the old courthouse. It added needed space, but completely obscured the historic courthouse. In the 1990s, the Annex was determined to be seismically unsafe and too costly to fix. The Annex was removed.

This year of 2011 is not only the 101st birthday of the County Courthouse, it is also the 76th birthday of the San Mateo County Historical Association. It began with an idea by Roscoe Wyatt that a society which would record and present the Peninsula’s extraordinary history would bring visitors and business to the area. He and a group of like-minded people met on Jan. 11, 1935, and the fledgling San Mateo County Historical Association began. By 1937, he welcomed the legendary Dr. Frank Stanger to the group. Dr. Stanger soon became an integral part of the association and led the group for more than 30 years. Preservation of the historic Woodside Store and Sanchez Adobe were among his accomplishments. In 1940, a room was offered to the Association at the College of San Mateo (located then on Baldwin Avenue in San Mateo) which they could use as a "museum.” In 1941, Stanger published the first issue of La Peninsula, a well-respected journal that is still published by the association today. When CSM moved in 1963 to its present campus location, the museum moved there too, much increased in space and acquisitions. In 1984, the directorship was assumed by Mitchell Postel who continues his excellent leadership today.

Eventually it became clear that the museum needed a new home. It was that "need” that intersected fortuitously with the availability of the old County Courthouse in Redwood City. A multi-million dollar renovation of the interior and exterior of the building was needed, and the challenge was met. The association moved to the Courthouse in 1998 and opened the museum to the public in 1999.

The San Mateo County Courthouse will be celebrated and commemorated for years to come. It will be solemnized with pomp and parades — and Redwood City’s Fourth of July Parade is one of the best. There will probably even be illuminations nearby. John Adams would approve.

Rediscovering the Peninsula by Darold Fredricks appears in the Monday edition of the Daily Journal.