User:Chetsford/county

There are 39 county courthouses in Washington state, one in each of the state's 39 counties. County courthouses serve as the seats of the state's 39 Superior Courts - first-level general jurisdiction trial courts. They often also house a county's legislative and executive offices.

In county-system government, counties function both as local governments and as agencies of the state. In their capacity as local governments they are responsible for emergency services, land use, parks, local roads, and similar functions. As agencies of the state, they issue marriage licenses, record vital statistics, prosecute felonies, and administer elections.

Background
For much of American history, county courthouses have served as local landmarks of government authority and as public meeting and gathering places. In their early history, many American counties convened trial courts in ad hoc locations, such as private homes and taverns. As these settings were not ideal for the conduct of judicial business, nor the preservation of growing volumes of public records, there was a move towards the creation of permanent structures. The historic importance of the county courthouse as a focal point of local government, however, first took form with an 1824 act of the United States Congress which permitted county-level governments to acquire 320 acres of land at a minimum price for the establishment of a "seat of justice".

Often the largest and most imposing building in many rural counties, the size, architectural qualities, and secondary use as a repository of a county's vital records - such as birth, death, and marriage certificates - placed county courthouses in the role which churches often played in the nations from which many early Americans had emigrated, or of the town hall in European free cities. In many county seats, the county courthouse occupies a central location, often flanking a "courthouse square" where major retail businesses are also located. Their position often designates the heart of a municipality.

Role of county courthouses in Washington
Washington is organized into 39 counties - political subdivisions that perform a dual role as both an administrative arm of the state and as the local government of the area under their jurisdiction. In each county is situated a Superior Court, the state's first-level general jurisdiction courts hearing civil and criminal cases. Unless given special permission by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Washington, Superior Courts are required to convene in the county seat of the county for which they have been created; they do so in their respective county courthouse. State law also generally mandates the legislative authority of each county convene in its county seat; in many counties, these meetings are also held in the county courthouse.

Courthouse preservation
A program to preserve historic courthouses was established in Washington in 2005. As of 2017, it had allocated $17 million to the preservation of the state's historic courthouses, of which 33 of Washington's 39 county courthouses are classed. Preservation grants are made to counties on a matching funds basis, at a ratio of about $1 of grant for every $2 of locally allocated monies. Preservation and restoration work is required to meet the requirements of the United States Department of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties.