Owyhee County Courthouse
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Owyhee County Courthouse | |
.jpg) The Owyhee County Courthouse in 2019 | |
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| Location | 20381 State Highway 78, Murphy, Idaho |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 43°13′01″N 116°33′01″W / 43.21694°N 116.55028°W |
| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1936 |
| Architect | Tourtellotte & Hummel |
| Architectural style | Modern Movement, Art deco |
| MPS | Tourtellotte and Hummel Architecture TR |
| NRHP reference No. | 82000357[1] |
| Added to NRHP | November 17, 1982 |
The Owyhee County Courthouse in Murphy, Idaho, is a 1-story Art Deco building designed by Tourtellotte & Hummel and constructed in 1936. The brick building features a prominent entry with fluted pilasters on either side of a square arch, with foliated sunburst panels that frame an entablature of floral, triangular, and wavelet designs. A panel above the entry reads, "Owyhee County Courthouse." The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[2]
Owyhee County was organized in Idaho Territory in 1863, and the county seat was first at Ruby City (1863-1867), then at Silver City (1867-1934), and in 1934 voters moved the county seat to Murphy.[3] The Idaho State Legislature ratified the move in 1999, officially changing the Idaho Code to reflect the relocation from Silver City to Murphy.[4]
In 1936 the county built a new courthouse on what was then a section of State Highway 45, now State Highway 78, at Murphy.[5] A dancehall had been the temporary courthouse, and it burned in 1939.[6]
The Owyhee County Courthouse was renovated and expanded in 1973, with 1-story brick additions at either end of the original structure.[7]
The only parking meter in Owyhee County was installed at the courthouse in the early 1950s.[8][9]
