Arizona weekly citizen., 1882-09-10
THE NEW COURT HOUSE.
Completion of the Model Edifice.
A FaII Description Of Pima County'- New
 BuildiRg.

or ElIna county were tLupOhcItu tp A1' sue county bonds to tine amount Ot S75,. OO0 for the purpose If building a new
 court house. The Board Of Supervisors
 were then as nov, Messrs. W. c. Davis
 B. Nj. Jacobs and NJ Pagan, with the
 difference that Mir. Jacobs was then
 chairman of the Board and not NIT,
 Davis as at present. All are well known
 and capable business men. They knew
 the wants and necessities of tle county
 Seventy-fve thousand dollars was to be
 the limit of their expenditures in sup
 plying that want. To spend 1t then judiciously was their chief ann, and that
 they have done SO and acquitted them
 selves most credltably the magnificent
 aDd imposing structure of which Pima
 county, through her citizens, can well
 afford to be proud and which now con-
 pleted gives testimony in behalf of their
 faithfulness, their judgment and in-
 tegrity. But not to them alone belongs
 the honor. The men vhn designed and
 executed, who gave practical shape to
 their ideas are among the m Ist impOr-
 1ant factors ID the consideration
 The design of the new building was conceived and planned by A. W. Pat tisni, an architect of great promise,
 whose views met the almost unanimous approval of the Supervisors mas much
 AS they not only accepted his desIgn in its entirity, but employed hIm as being among the mpetlt"rs for the position, the most capable to supervise its con- struction, which he has done and done
 well as the court house from basement to dome IS proCL
 The contract for its erection was
 awarded to Mir. John Hanlon, the brick and stone work WIS by him, sublet to
 Ar. W. F. Gleason, both practical wOrE-
 men, skilled and capable artisans. The original contract prIce as awarded was
 less than S6ilOOO and by many 1t was feared that an extra allowance must
 needs be made in order tD fully carey Cut the undertaking and complete the building accOrdiug to the plaus and specifications. But for once in the his tory of such buildings, the work has
 been completed and perfected in detail
 without further appropriations beng asked for or granted. The stone used in its construction IS of lava formation, and was qnsrned ID the lava hills near town. and slthOngi 1t may not be for the purpose used, the best m the world, 1t certainly Is the best building rock in this section of Arizona. It not only works finely, but IS well calculated to stsnI the Bbrsiding influences of th- weather. The brick was by Nr. GleasOn made and bdrnt III the valley back of the old convent and is by al con- potent judges, pronounced a mhst ex- cellent quality. Previous attempts at similar manufactures from the same earth had resulted m failure, but to Mir. GleasOn's skilled mind the cause was and soon overcome. The re- suit IS that for the amount of money expended, there is not a better designed, K more sOlidly constructed, or a better building on the coast. The Is of stone, the walls of brick, the roof of metal. and the woods used in the interior of its construction are of the best pine, redwood and black walnut prOcurable.
 The main building Is ln general fig ures, 601lU0 feet, wi h sn l. addition of 40x52 feet, used for isl purposes. The approaches are three, those of the ends being from Cou and Church streets, with the main entrance on Pennington slong which street the building has the greatest depth. Passing under large stone arch into the vestibul or waiting room, and then through a pair of mas- sive sliding doors the main hall and also the grand staircase to the second stOr, is reached. To the right of the entranc' IS the office of th,. County Supervisors, to the left that of L. D. ChillsOn, the County Surveyor. By passing around the staircase the lateral hall on the first floor is encountered, and which, unHTng the entire length of the building. glves entrance at either end and access to he various rooms. The first OB the right IS the County Recorder; his copying clerk an adjoining room, but placed more to the rear. To the left IS the oheriff's office and private room. The two rooms on the east end of the tame hall are occupied by the County Treasurer and Public Admins .rator, respectively. On tn west end are tte offices occupied by the District Attorney and the United States Marshal 'or whom arrangements have been made
 On the second floor to the left IS the District Court room with its attendant udge's cham Der, jury aud grand Jury 'oOms. To the right IS the Court oi tue Probate Judge. with private office and ury rooms attached. Ghe offices Ot the ..N IO conveniently located on the same ioor. By standing on the landing at he head of the stairway,a most pleasing riew of the surroundings can be had 1 Columns, arches and ballustradrs on ei- | her hand, whIle overhead Is the lofty lome, through which a flood of light is ,oured upon the hallway and into the | OOms below. Its descent of sixty feet l ,ut serving to soften its rays and render | he effect more pleasing.
 All the ordinary offices are | sx20 feet. the principal ones bs1ng 1 larger. The two court rooms ! re sufficiently large for all practical ! purposes, and although there has been |
 disposition on the part Of some to find ] sult, especially with the district court, | 'ecause of being, as they adIudge, too | mall to meet the requirements of those I n attendance. But the room ls fully | and as large, without dis the other rooms, as the | ize of the building will admit To l ave made 1t larger without Incr-as- DE the size of the buildiuy v llli have cen at the expense uf the symstrical | O' the whole interior. The rooms on the first or ground floor re sixteen feet Tn the clear. those on be second floor are eighteen feet in the lear, and all are magnificently ghted and ventilated throughou. he rooms of the Recorder, Treasurer, District and Probate Courts are eacn rovided with cummOdius fire proof ault, with double doors and combination Dcks, thus against all ordinary emer- encies, insurinR the safety of the many important documents entrusted to their coping.
 The jail 40I52 feet Is also two stories iRh and to which access Is gained by all from either floor of the courthouse roper. Each story contains eight iron ells or tanks, each one capable of b .ld- ig four prisoners. The cells are con- trurted of rolled carbonizad plate. he grated windows, doors and corridor ars being similarly treated. ihus giv- lg them the hardness of tempered eel. In addition to the wide cor dOrs which facing each row of cells nd m winch the less desperate prison -s can be kept, provisions have been Isde Tor the keeping of women and | oys whose refractory dispositions have rought them under the displeAsure of