HISTORIC LANDMARKs

JEFFERSON COUNTY COURTHOUSE

The Jefferson County Courthouse stands today much as it did when built in 1889.  The building is significant due to its fine architectural design and construction techniques as well as its association with John Paulsen, noted architect of many of Montana's finer public buildings.  In the spring of 1883 an election was held which moved the Jefferson County seat from Radersburg to Boulder, where it was housed in an existing building.  A debate ensued on whether to fix up the older structure or build a new one.  A new courthouse was approved and the plans and specifications for the new structure were prepared by Paulsen and McConnell, architects, of Helena, Montana on July 11, 1888, according to the county records.  Work began immediately and the building was completed in February of 1889.  The general contractor for the building was J. S. MacKenzie.  Various subcontractors were let for different aspects of the building such as for the brick (the major exterior material) and the stone for the foundation.  John Paulsen was a German born and trained architect who moved to Montana in 1887 where he practiced for ten years until his death in 1897.  Particularly outstanding Paulsen buildings include the Broadwater Hotel and Natatorium, Montana Club and High School in Helena (all now razed).  Serving as the State Architect from 1895-97, Paulsen drew the plans and specifications for the Boulder River School for the Deaf and Blind, four buildings at the agricultural school in Bozeman and the Main Hall at the State Normal School in Dillon, among others.  Paulsen employed native organic materials in his eclectic designs, avoiding veneers, while creating richly textured, skillfully ornamented structures.  The Jefferson County Courthouse if a fine example of Paulsen's grand yet finely integrated concept in the design of public buildings.  The Jefferson County Courthouse has had a long and colorful history serving the numerous mining camps in the area of Elkhorn, Comet, Jefferson City, Wickes, and Basin.  Jefferson County was created in 1865, making it one of the original eight counties in the Territory of Montana.  The courthouse is one of the earliest county courthouses still in use today.

Source: Transcription from the file, "National Register of Historic Places and National Historic Landmarks Program Records: Montana, 1964-2012," created by the Department of Interior and National Park Service; located on the website, National Archives (http://archives.gov), accessed 23 May 2022.  Photograph by John N. DeHaas, Jr., taken in September 1977; located on the website, National Archives (http://archives.gov).

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