Old Jefferson County Courthouse makes National Register
A two-story, nearly century-old building in Madras known as “the Old Courthouse” has just been added to the National Register of Historic Places, state officials said Tuesday.
Following a contentious battle for the county seat, the 1917 Jefferson County Courthouse, known to locals as “the Old Courthouse,” was constructed as the Madras City Hall, but housed the county offices and court from 1917 until 1961, when the current courthouse was built a block away.
The small concrete Jailhouse remained the only facility for holding prisoners during the same time.
The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department noted that the “courthouse was constructed during a period of relative prosperity in Jefferson County and Madras specifically, which had grown steadily since the early 20th century with the establishment of dry-land farms throughout the area under the Homestead Act.”
“Winning the county seat secured Madras’ position as the county ‘s economic and political center, encouraging further growth and development,” the news release stated.
In 1934, the United States Resettlement Administration, a Depression-era aid program, began buying failed farms throughout the county , signaling an important shift in governance as the once profitable agricultural land surrounding Madras transferred from private ownership subject to county governance to public grazing lands under federal stewardship.
Oregon’s State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation recommended the Jefferson County Courthouse nomination at their meeting a year ago this month.
The building is one of three historic properties in Madras that are now listed in the National Register, including the Madras Army Airbase North Hangar at the municipal airport and the Max and Ollie Luedemann House on SE 9th Street.
The National Register is maintained by the National Park Service under the authority of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966.
More information about the National Register and recent Oregon lists is online at www.oregonheritage.org (click on “National Register” at left of page).
