Completed in 1859 in response to a citizen petition, this courthouse is one of only two still standing from Oregon Territorial days. Built at a cost of $2,500, it provided the first county-owned jail and office space. The sheriff's office was on the first floor near three jail cells, while the courtroom and clerk's office were upstairs and could be entered only by an outside staircase. As the seat of government for a county that once covered 130,000 square miles, it served until a larger courthouse was built in 1882. The much-remodeled building was moved to this site in 1975 and has since undergone extensive restoration.