County Courthouse
1868
The Alameda County Courthouse stood here between 1856 and 1868. In 1853 Alameda County was carved out of Contra Costa and Santa Clara Counties. New Haven was its first county seat. The 1854 legislative session moved the county seat to more centrally-located San Leandro. Property for the courthouse was one of four parcels donated by the Estudillo family for public purposes. The building was constructed in 1856, with bricks made of clay taken from the site.
A major earthquake on the Hayward Fault on October 21, 1868, destroyed the courthouse. Deputy County Clerk J.W. Josselyn was killed, and four prisoners had to be rescued from the basement jail.
After the earthquake, county business was conducted in a nearby Methodist Church until a temporary courthouse was constructed. An election in 1873 moved the county seat from San Leandro to Oakland. St. Leander’s Church bought the property in 1880 and established St. Mary’s School in the court building.
Marker is at the intersection of Davis Street (State Highway 61/112) and Clarke Street, on the right when traveling east on Davis Street.
Courtesy hmdb.org
