Gallatin County | US Courthouses

Gallatin County is named for Albert Gallatin, who was United States Secretary of the Treasury at the time of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Broadwater County and Meagher County

E – Park County and Park County, Wyoming

S – Fremont County, Idaho

W – Madison County

Created: February 2, 1865

County Seat:

Gallatine City 1865 – 1867

Bozeman 1865 – present

County Courthouse – Bozeman

Location: 311 West Main Street / North 3rd Avenue

Built: 1934 – 1935

Style: Art Deco

Architect: Fred F Wilson of Bozeman

Contractor: Mead & Mount of Denver, Colorado

Description: The building faces south and is a two story stone, concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Bozeman. The south front has vertical sections which divide the windows and entrances on the first story. The center section projects from the main building. The building has a flat roof. The former courtroom is located on the second story. On the west side is the Old County Jail built in 1911.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Gallatin County Courthouse

History: The county was created in 1865 and Gallatin City was selected as the county seat. The county government was housed in private residences in Gallatin City until 1867 when the county seat was moved to Bozeman. The first courthouse was designed by B Vreeland and F W Vreeland and constructed by Shaffer & Yergy in 1880 to 1881 at a cost of $25,000. An addition was constructed at the rear of the courthouse in 1884 at a cost of $6,017. An addition was designed by Charles & Haire in 1902. In 1910 a new jail was designed by Fred F Wilson and constructed next to the courthouse at a cost of $35,000. The second and present courthouse was constructed in 1934 to 1935 at a cost of $146,000. The Law and Justice Center was constructed in 1961 to 1962

County Law and Justice Center – Bozeman

Location: 615 South 16th Avenue / West Dickerson Street

Built: 1961 – 1962

Style: Schoolhouse Modern

Architect: Norman Hamill and Associates of Butte

Contractor: Haggerty-Messmer

Description: The building faces west and is a two story brown colored brick, concrete and glass structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds to the south of the center of Bozeman. The south front has horizontal white bands with horizontal windows below each band. The central entrance is recessed. The roof line is flat. .The building was purchased by the county in the 1970s.

Note: In November 2019, voters turned down the request to approve the construction of a new Law and Justice Center at a cost of $59,000,000,