Benton County Courthouse, County courthouse in Corvallis, Oregon.

The Benton County Courthouse is a government building in Corvallis featuring Renaissance Revival design with carved stone details, prominent columns, and a clock tower visible from all four sides. The exterior displays the ornate qualities typical of this architectural style.

Completed in 1888, the courthouse is the oldest county courthouse in Oregon still used for its original purpose. In 1918 a hot water heating system replaced the failing steam system, and in 1954 the circuit courtroom was split in half and its ceiling lowered to 16 feet.

The basement has long housed the Benton County Elections Department, which by state law kept ballot boxes and original ballots between local elections. The 1954 remodel removed some 20 brass spittoons from the hallways and offices, replacing them with four sand urns for cigarette butts.

The courthouse stands in downtown Corvallis and is an active government building with working courtrooms and county offices, so standard security screening applies. The basement has long housed the Benton County Elections Department, which stores ballot boxes and original ballots between elections under state law.

The clock tower required manual winding twice weekly until 1953, when an electric motor automated the weight system. This hands-on maintenance was a key part of the building's operation for many decades.