San Diego County is named for San Diego Bay, which was named for Saint Didacus of Alcala which in Spanish is “Diago de Alcala”.
Created: February 18, 1850
County Seat:
San Diego 1850 – present
County Hall of Justice – San Diego
Location: 330 West Broadway / Union Street
Built: 1994 – 1996
Style: Modern
Architect: Carrier Johnson UW
Contractor: Hensel Phelps Construction Company
Description: The building faces south and is a fourteen story steel, concrete and glass structure. The building is tiered with smaller sections on the upper stories. The south front has three columns at the main entrance. The windows are vertical with panels between the floors. The roof line is flat. The building was developed by Langford & Associates and Hensel Phelps Construction Company.
County Court House – San Diego
Location: 220 West Broadway / Union Street
Built: 1959 – 1961
Style: Modern
Architect: Samuel W Hamill
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces south and is a seven story steel, concrete and glass structure. The building is located on the east side of the Hall of Justice. The rectangular building has vertical and horizontal concrete dividers with large glass panel walls. The east and west sides of the building have a few small windows. The roof line is flat. On the southwest corner is a three story concrete addition. A three story addition extends north for two blocks.
Note: The previous courthouse was designed by Comstock & Trotsche and constructed by P J McCormick in 1889.
County Administration – San Diego
Location: 1600 Pacific Highway / West Beech Street
Built: 1935 – 1938
Style: Spanish Renaissance
Architect: William Templeton Johnson, Richard S Requa, Louis J Gill and Samuel Hamill
Contractor: Charles Hoskins
Description: The building faces east and is a ten story steel, pink colored concrete and glass structure. The east front has a projecting central section with arched entrance on the first story. Behind is a tower rising another six stories with flat roof line. The red colored tile roof is hipped. There are north and south wings forming an “H” shape. An addition was constructed in 1958 and another addition was constructed in 1974. The building was constructed as the Civic Center and in 1964, the County acquired ownership of the building.
Note: The cost of construction was $1,730,474 of which the Federal Emergency Public Works Fund contributed $989,528.
Courthouses:
N – Orange County and Riverside County
E – Imperial County
S – Mexico
W – Pacific Ocean
Photos taken 2013