Madera County Courthouse
Why it's listed
Madera County's old courthouse at 210 West Yosemite was built in 1900 of granite from the Raymond quarries in the county. It has two floors and a full basement, measures roughly 84 by 93 feet, and follows the rectangular masonry neo-classic style common in American public buildings, with restrained ornament and a high clock tower topped by a vaulted, columned cupola. A fire in 1906 damaged part of the interior and brought down the clock tower, though the clock itself was not injured. Madera County was created in 1893, and the courthouse served for sixty years as the administrative and political center for a largely agricultural population. It was the first important building in the county and housed its first library. After a 1953 survey declared it unsafe, county government moved across the street, and the Historical Society took over the building with plans to restore it as a museum. The exterior is described as looking much as it always did.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it the first really important planned building in Madera County and the first important building after Madera became a county. It served for sixty years as the administrative and political center for a largely agricultural population, and housed the county's first library. It is also described as a neo-classic public building with a high clock tower.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 71000162, listed September 3, 1971. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 210 W. Yosemite Ave., Madera |
|---|---|
| County | Madera County |
| Listed | September 3, 1971 |
| Reference number | 71000162 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1900 |
| Architectural style | Rectangular masonry neo-classic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition rated fair, with minor interior modernization. Declared unsafe after a 1953 survey and county government moved across the street; the county road department was still using it and was to move out. The county turned it over to the Historical Society, which was raising money to restore it as a museum. |
| Acreage | 5 |
| Coordinates | 36.95959, -120.06174 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 71000162.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6727144
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.