Santa Cruz County is named for the city of Santa Cruz, which is names for La Mision de la Exaltacion de la Santa Cruz ( Mission of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross ).
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – San Mateo County
S – Monterey County
W – Pacific Ocean
Created: February 18, 1850 
County Seat:
Santa Cruz 1850 – present
County Courthouse – Santa Cruz
Location: 701 Ocean Street / Water Street
Built: 1965 – 1967
Style: Modern Brutalist
Architect: Rockwell and Banwell of San Francisco
Contractor: Jasper Construction Company
Description: The building faces east and is a one story concrete and glass structure with a five story concrete and glass wing on the south side. The building is located on a large treed area and is named as the Government Complex. The north one story building houses the courts. A one story open atrium connects with the five story administration building on the south side. The roof line is flat.
Note: In 1867, a courthouse was designed by Thomas Beck and constructed by Sedgewick J Lynch and George T Gragg. The previous courthouse was designed by Nelson A Cornstock and constructed by R H McCabe in 1896. The building was rebuilt in 1906 and remodeled in 1949. In 1989, the building was razed after damage by earthquake. The cost of construction of the present courthouse was $3,859,777.
Other Branch Courthouses
County Courthouse – Santa Cruz
Photos taken 2015