The buildings all around us have stories to tell. One building I get asked a lot about is the Latah County Courthouse. Now, among historic homes, a gothic revival church, and an art deco school, the modern-style courthouse seems a bit out of place. But as you can imagine, this was not the building that always stood there.

Constructed from 1888-89, the original Latah County Courthouse occupied its place upon the hill, overlooking Moscow from Fifth and Adams streets. In many early Moscow panoramas, the courthouse sits stately next to the high school and Whitworth School (1912 Center). Built almost entirely of brick supplied from the Taylor-Lauder Brick Company, the courthouse looked much different, utilizing the federal architectural style that was so prominent in early government buildings.