Graham County Courthouse
National Register of Historic Places

Graham County Courthouse

Safford, Graham County, Arizona
Listed
May 24, 1982
Type
Building
Period
Industrial
Ref No.
82002077

About this property

The current Graham County Courthouse is a courthouse at 800 W. Main St. in Safford, Arizona that is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It is a two-story red brick building above a concrete foundation that includes a raised basement. The main part of the east-facing building is 83 feet (25 m) by 62 feet (19 m), and there is a one-story 17 feet (5.2 m) by 49 feet (15 m) north wing made of brick, and a small ell in the back. It is the fifth courthouse of the county, following one in Safford during 1881–83, two in Solomonville, Arizona during 1883–1915, and the 1901 Riggs building at Main and Central in Safford during 1915–16. After Arizona achieved statehood in 1912, Safford was chosen as the location for Graham's county seat in a 1915 election, moving it four miles west from Solomonville, the county seat since 1883. A$50,000 bond was authorized to finance construction of a courthouse with courtrooms, offices, and jail. The Classic Revival/Neo-Classic style courthouse was built in 1916. Its construction cost $44,404. J. A. McAllister, a justice in the Arizona Supreme Court, and Jesse A. Udall, a chief justice of the Arizona Supreme Court, began their careers here. In 1982, the interior public areas retained the original wooden moldings, interior doors, door trim, and wainscoting, and wooden balustrade and newel post of the main staircase. An ell at the back, 29 feet (8.8 m) by 49 feet (15 m), that held a jail, was demolished in 1978, leaving markings from where it joined on the current small ell at the back. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982. Although the building is historic, it still serves as location of Graham County's Superior Court, in 2016.

Location

800 Main St.
Safford, Graham County, Arizona
32.83322, -109.71640

Categories

POLITICS/GOVERNMENTARCHITECTURE
National Register nomination ›
Sources

Property data from the National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

Description adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.

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Questions about this property

When was Graham County Courthouse listed on the National Register?

Graham County Courthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on May 24, 1982.

What type of historic resource is Graham County Courthouse?

Graham County Courthouse is classified as a building in the National Register of Historic Places.

What is the period of significance for Graham County Courthouse?

The period of significance for Graham County Courthouse is recorded as the industrial era.

Can I research the history near Graham County Courthouse?

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