Old County Courthouse - The Dome That Outlasted the Quake

Photo: Eugene Zelenko, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped)

A stop on Redwood City History Walk, a free self-guided tour.

In front of you is the grandest building in old Redwood City, and it was born from a disaster. A new county courthouse was finished here shortly before the 1906 earthquake. When the ground shook, the building was wrecked, and only its dome was left standing.

The county rebuilt around it. Architect Glenn Allen designed a new courthouse in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, with columns, carved stone and that surviving dome at its heart. It opened on July 4, 1910. Inside, the dome is crowned with stained glass, often said to be the largest of its kind on the West Coast, above a mosaic tile floor.

The courts moved out decades ago, and since 1999 the building has housed the San Mateo County History Museum, run by the San Mateo County Historical Association. The museum charges admission, so check its website for current hours and prices. Even from outside, notice the carved details and the way the dome rises above the square.

Getting here: Start in Courthouse Square, 2200 Broadway, facing the domed old courthouse on the square's north side.

Did you know?: This was the fourth county courthouse on this site, and the 1910 building came through the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake that shook the Bay Area.

Photo op: Stand near the middle of Courthouse Square and shoot straight up the steps to frame the columns and dome together.

More on Wikipedia: San Mateo County History Museum · 1906 San Francisco earthquake

Old County Courthouse - The Dome That Outlasted the Quake

Stops on this tour