Published October 18, 2022, for State 48 A2Z
In last week’s State 48 A2Z blog, we discussed the early days of Globe, Arizona, and its historic district. This week, we extend our stay in the seat of Gila County and go inside the historic 1906 Gila County Courthouse, the second county courthouse built in Globe. It replaced the outdated two-story courthouse that was constructed in 1888. The building is currently utilized to showcase performing and visual arts from around the area but, after decades of neglect, the historic building has been restored to also showcase its past days of glory and surely some of infamy.
The courthouse is a four-story building that today is home to the Cobre Valley Center for Performing Arts. The building’s architecture utilized a mixture of classical designs, with Italian Renaissance as the primary style. It was constructed using locally sourced quarried stone for its exterior walls while interior load-bearing walls utilized brick, and the roof and floors and framed and sheathed in wood.
As Globe and Gila County were growing the original 1888 two-story courthouse failed to continue to fit the needs of the town and county’s growth and, in 1905, the United States Congressional and Territorial Legislative Assembly gave Gila County its approval to issue bonds to raise the $40,000 needed funding for the new courthouse. With that approval, planning began for the new building.
However, by 1918 improvements and alterations to the roof and upper floor were completed, and, in 1919, the attic was converted into a fourth floor to make space for two jury rooms. Evidence of these changes was most noticeable on the southwest facade where the cornice was reduced, and the frieze replaced by a set of windows.
A decision was made in 1976 that a new courthouse was needed to fit the current needs of Gila County and the 1906 courthouse was closed after 70 years of service. For several years after the courthouse’s relocation, the deteriorating historic building was used for storage, which caused a lot more deterioration and damage. For example, the once beautiful hardwood floors had carpet and vinyl flooring glued to them in addition to the numerous storage units being attached to the floors and walls. The building once boasted ten beautiful columns in the main entryway, but only one of these remained intact.
In 1984, a group of Globe-concerned residents and artists took on the task of restoring the building to its former glory to preserve it as the piece of Arizona and US history that it is. Over the next three decades, this amazing group of individuals slowly brought the courthouse back to its original beauty. They even used the one existing column in the entry to create a cast to construct the missing nine columns.
But history isn’t the only thing being preserved in this historic building. Globe attracts its fair share of paranormal enthusiasts throughout the year along with the 1910 Gila County Sheriff’s Office and Jail and the 1916 Train Depot. As with most old west towns, Globe was a tough place to live with its share of gun violence, in addition to vigilante and mob justice. Violent deaths can lead to the most interesting spirits.
Today, the building is utilized by the Cobra Valley Center for the Performing Arts with art galleries of local artists on the first floor. This is a definite stop when you are in town, there is so much amazing art housed here, and it's all set in the historic building which adds additional charm. While access to the upper floors is off-limits due to that space being used by the performing arts group, you can still tour a great portion of the historic building while taking in the amazing variety of art mediums on display. This art is also available for purchase if you find that irresistible piece for your home.
Preserving our history is so important for us as a country, state, and society. We must continue to educate ourselves on our history and learn from it. A society that refuses to preserve its past is quickly lost, and this collective did an amazing job restoring the building and preserving a piece of Gila County, Arizona, and United States history. I, for one, thank them profusely for doing so.
To learn more about the Cobre Valley Center for the Performing Arts please visit their page at www.facebook.com/cvcarts. I can tell you from first-hand experience that the people running this building are amazing. We had a personal tour of most of the building in preparation for this article, as well as getting some amazing information on Globe, its history, and its people. They were so welcoming and friendly. Huge shoutout to Gallery Manager, Wil Bowen, for taking so much time with us during our visit.
That’ll wrap things up for this week. As always, thanks for reading, stay safe, and happy travels. Be sure to like and follow us on social media (links below), share our blog posts, and feel free to give us your feedback. We’d love to hear from you. Peace!
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