Yakima County | US Courthouses

Yakima County is named for the Yakima Native American tribe and the word means “runaway” which is based on a native legend about a chief’s daughter from Moxie who fled from her home after breaking a tribal rule.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Kittitas County

E – Grant County and Benton County

S – Klickitat County

W – Skamania County, Lewis County and Pierce County

Created: January 21, 1865

County Seat:

Union Gap 1865 – 1870

Yakima City 1870 – 1886

Yakima 1886 – present

County Courthouse – Yakima

Location: 128 North 2nd Street / East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

Built: 1940 – 1941

Style: Moderne

Architect: Fassett & Gochnour

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces east and is a three story red-orange colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Yakima. The building has a gray colored stone base and vertical red colored brick dividers between the windows. The central entrance is recessed and the roof line is flat. The building was constructed on the east side of the 1907 courthouse as an addition and became the courthouse in 1964 when the old courthouse was demolished..

County Courthouse Annex – Yakima

Location: 128 North 2nd Street / East Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard

Built: 1963 – 1964

Style: Modern

Architect: Villevik & Smith

Contractor: Unknown

Description: The building faces north and is four story dark red colored brick, concrete and glass structure. The building is located in the center of Yakima and is connected to the courthouse on the east side. The entrance is at the northwest corner with dark blue colored glass rising to the roof line. The horizontal windows are recessed. The roof line is flat. The building houses the County Superior Court and County District Court courtrooms on the second and third stories. The building houses the County Superior Court and the County District Court. The building exterior was remodeled in 2011. The architect was Architects Rasmusen Triebelhorne of Seattle,

History: The county was created in 1865 and Union Gap was selected as the county seat. The county officers met in the private homes of J H Henderson, F M Throp and C P Cooke. In 1870, the county seat was established in Yakima City. The first courthouse was built in 1880. The courthouse was destroyed by fire on March 31, 1882. The second courthouse was a wood frame Greek temple style structure built in 1882 to 1883. The county seat was moved to New Yakima in 1886 and the second courthouse was moved on rollers to New Yakima to North Second Street and Staff Sargent Pendleton Way. The courthouse burned on May 5, 1906. The third courthouse, a stone structure was designed by Newton C Gauntt and constructed by W W Felton in 1906 to 1907. In 1941, an addition was designed by Fassett & Gochnour and constructed on the east front of the courthouse. In 1963 to 1964, the courthouse was replaced by an addition. The architect was John Maloney. In 2011 the addition was remodeled at a cost of $3,500,000.