Yavapai County Courthouse, Neoclassical courthouse in downtown Prescott, United States.
The Yavapai County Courthouse at 120 South Cortez Street is a Neoclassical Revival building designed by Denver architect William N. Bowman, with its cornerstone laid in October 1916 and construction finished in September 1918. Italian stonemasons quarried and worked the granite for the walls. The courthouse faces a plaza that holds the Bucky O'Neill statue, a Deodar cedar designated the Arizona Statehood Tree, and the All-Veterans Memorial.
The first courthouse on this site was completed on February 23, 1878, built of red brick with a clock tower and an 800-pound bell shipped from Boston via the Colorado River. It caught fire in 1892 after rainwater seeped into the basement and mixed with lime, but it was not destroyed; the county added to it and wired it for electricity. In 1916 the supervisors accepted William N. Bowman's plans, and the Neoclassical Revival courthouse was finished in September 1918.
A bronze statue of Bucky O'Neill, a former Prescott mayor who died fighting in the Spanish-American War, stands in the courthouse plaza. The monument reflects the town's connection to this local leader and his place in regional memory.
The courthouse sits in downtown Prescott and is easy to reach on foot from nearby streets. Keep in mind that this is an active courthouse building, so some areas may have restricted access depending on court activities.
Senator Barry Goldwater launched his 1964 presidential campaign from the steps of this courthouse. The location remains a symbolic reminder of Arizona's political history and the state's influence on national elections.
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