Monterey County Court House, Courthouse in Salinas, California, United States

The Monterey County Court House is the courthouse for Monterey County, standing in Salinas, California. Local architect Robert Stanton designed the 1937 Art Moderne complex around the site of the demolished 1878 brick Victorian courthouse, leaving a landscaped courtyard ringed by an arcade. The two- and three-story concrete building, with a glass-and-steel third floor at the rear, carries sculpture and reliefs by Joseph Jacinto Mora.

The first Monterey County Court House, a brick Victorian building by Jacob Lenez, Jr., was built in 1878 and demolished in 1937; a courtyard, lily pond and commemorative sculpture now occupy that site. The present court house, designed by local architect Robert Stanton in the Art Moderne or WPA Moderne style, was built in 1937 with Works Progress Administration funds at a cost of $450,000. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on January 8, 2009.

The courthouse's sculpture programme is a public display of California history: 62 busts of historical figures fill the window spandrels, and five travertine reliefs show scenes from Monterey County's past. Joseph Jacinto Mora's large freestanding travertine sculpture stands at the centre of the courtyard, and small bronze castings decorate the doors.

The courthouse stands in Salinas, not Monterey, and is used by the Monterey County Superior Court. Robert Stanton wrapped the new 1937 building around the site of the demolished 1878 courthouse, so the landscaped courtyard and arcade sit at the centre of the complex. Look for the freestanding travertine sculpture by Joseph Jacinto Mora in that courtyard.

The courtyard's centerpiece is a large freestanding travertine sculpture by Joseph Jacinto Mora, and 62 busts of figures from California history fill the window spandrels. Five travertine reliefs show scenes from Monterey County history, and small bronze castings decorate the doors.