Five Facts About Prescott’s Historic Courthouse

Visitors to Prescott won’t be able to avoid the lure to one of Prescott’s favorite places: the historic Courthouse Plaza. Today, it’s a lush square that brings locals and visitors together as they enjoy the shaded walking paths, picnic areas, and many special events that take place in the plaza. 

At its helm sits the Prescott Courthouse, a beautiful and imposing stone building with a long history. 

We’ve gathered some of our favorite facts about the courthouse that will make you appreciate it even more the next time you wander by.

1 | It was the first building on the Plaza

Built in 1878, the original courthouse was the first building located on the plaza. The red-brick courthouse replaced the current courtroom space that was a rental located in a building a few blocks away. The new courthouse was grand in comparison to the court’s former setting and had a basement, two-stories of working rooms, and a clock tower with an 800-pound bell. 

2 | It suffered a fire

Only 14 years after it was built the courthouse caught fire in 1892 due to a mixture of seeping rainwater and lime. While the building was salvaged, it inspired the court’s supervisors to build an addition to stop it from happening again. When the building was wired for electricity in 1894, additional work was required as the original building and the addition were actually separating from one another.   

3 | It was totally rebuilt in 1918

By 1916, the courthouse was crumbling and once again posed an ongoing fire hazard. A new courthouse was approved and was designed in a neoclassical style. Italian stonemasons extracted the granite destined for the site at the local Larkin Quarry, and the building was completed in September 1918. While the original courthouse was torn down, the surrounding bandstand, fountain, and pathways stayed.   

4 | The tunnel rumors are true (to a degree)

For years there have been rumors of underground tunnels in Prescott. You’ll find claims that they were used as opium dens, for freight deliveries, and to house Chinese workers. The truth? No one really knows for sure! That being said, there is one of these famed tunnels off of the basement of the current courthouse. While the tunnel goes around the bottom of the courthouse, it is sealed, as are many of the other tunnel locations in town. 

5 | Residents are fiercely protective of the courthouse

It’s not often that you hear of residents suing to stop construction of an office building blocks from a courthouse. But in the case of Prescott, it is, indeed, true. Local residents value the historical aesthetics and symbolism of the courthouse, and are fiercely loyal to it. In 2004, there was a proposed 80-foot contemporary office building proposal that would have been situated two blocks from the courthouse. The residents rallied to block the office building to keep the continuity of the historical area, even though it was allowed by city code. In 2007, locals gathered once more as Yavapai County debated moving its courthouse proceedings elsewhere.