Pacific County is named for the Pacific Ocean which borders the county.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
E – Lewis County
S – Wahkiakum County, Clatsop County, Oregon and Pacific Ocean
W – Pacific Ocean
Created: February 4, 1851 
County Seat:
Pacific City 1851 – 1853
Chinookville 1853 – 1855
Oysterville 1855 – 1893
South Bend 1893 – present
County Courthouse – South Bend
Location: 300 Memorial Avenue / Cowlitz Street
Built: 1910 – 1911
Style: Beaux Arts
Architect: C Lewis Willson & Company of Seattle
Contractor: Northwest Bridge Works
Description: The building faces northwest and is a two story cream colored stucco, brick and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds of Quality Hill in the center of South Bend. The north front has a high portico with four white columns rising to a rounded pediment at the roof line with peaked section behind. Along the roof line is a balustrade. The second story windows are arched. On the center of the roof is a large black colored dome. The interior is notable for its impressive central rotunda. The north or main entrance foyer is a brightly lit vestibule with a coffered ceiling. On the walls are fasces-framed panels containing naturalistic local scene paintings. Double circular stairs of cast iron are located in the rear foyer, on the opposite or southerly side of the rotunda, providing access to basement offices and to the courtroom, and offices on the second story. The large County Superior Court courtroom has an art-glass skylight situated at the center of the coved ceiling. Also on the second story is the small County District Court courtroom. On the north side is the County Jail constructed in 1983 to 1985.
See: The architect C Lewis Willson & Company of Seattle also designed the courthouse in Franklin County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Pacific County Courthouse
See: The Judicial District includes Wahkiakum County.
History: The county was created in 1851 and Pacific City was designated as the county seat. The county seat was moved to Chinookville in 1853 where the first court met at Holeman’s Schoolhouse at Baker Bay ( Ilwaco ), a one room structure which served as the first courthouse. The county seat was moved to Oysterville in 1855. The court met in hotels until the second courthouse, a one story frame structure was built in 1863 and is still standing. The third courthouse was a two story frame structure, built in 1875 to 1876. The county seat was moved to South Bend in 1893. The county occupied the Bristol and Leonard Building on Water Street and the fourth courthouse was built by W B Murdock in 1894 on Quincy Street at a cost of $5,000. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1910 to 1911 at a cost of $132,000.
County Courthouse – South Bend
County District Court courtroom
County Superior Court courtroom
Picture 1876 County Courthouse at Oysterville
Photos taken 2012 and 2016