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Overview

This courthouse that occupied a full city block combined a mixture of Italianate, Second Empire and Neo-classical stylistic elements and stood between 1875 and 1951. Court operations did not occur in the building after the Alameda County Courthouse #4 was completed in 1936 and it remained largely mothballed for about 15 years.

Building Notes

The ornate courthouse had a wood-frame faced with brick and plaster.

Demolition

The Alameda County Board of Supervisors awarded a demolition contract to the Joseph D. Ballinger and Company of Oakland on 06/26/1951. An article in the Oakland Tribune stated: “The old Alameda County Court House at Fourth Street and Broadway is going to be razed after 15 years of disuse. The Board of Supervisors let the contract for demolishing the old brick and frame building yesterday to Joseph D. Ballinger and Company, 1905 Cypress Street, Oakland. The firm will get $5170 plus the salvaged materials for their work. The cash outlay is less than the cost of insurance on the building for the next year, the Supervisors said. The cleared site will provide valuable parking space for county cars. Delay in tearing down the crumbling old building, which was first occupied by the county government in 1873 [sic], has been attributed to pending deals with other agencies, including the state, and perhaps a touch of sentiment. In recent years, [the] only occupant has been a Navy shore patrol office.” (See "Old Court House Is Doomed; Demolition Contract Awarded," Oakland Tribune, 06/27/1951, p. 17.)

The demolition occurred either during late 1951 or early 1952 and cost the projected $5,170. (See "Board of Supervisors," Oakland Tribune, 03/19/1952, p. 54.) Demolition had been complete by 03/1952. (See "Mystery of Court House Cornerstone Unsolved," Oakland Tribune, 03/05/1952, p. 16.)

The site was cleared and a parking lot laid on it in 1953 for Alameda County workers driving to jobs in the Social Welfare, School and Coroner's Departments in buildings nearby. (See "Site of Old Courthouse To Be Paved for Parking," Oakland Tribune, 01/16/1953, p. 6.)

PCAD id: 20838