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Welcome  
 WASHINGTON
COUNTY was organized at statehood from part of
the old Cherokee Nation. The name honored George
Washington, the first president of the United
States.
The county seat selected by delegates
to the Constitutional Convention was Bartlesville,
a town established in 1879 and named for Jacob
Bartles, who had built a trading post on the site.
In 1913, after renting space for six
years, county commissioners began work on a new
county courthouse. Designed by architect P.H.
Weathers, the work was completed by the Inland
Construction Company at a cost of $94,750.
The structure combined a unique
mixture of architectural elements. The basic
design was Second Renaissance Revival, with
distinct horizontal zones, molded belt courses,
rusticated stone finish on the ground level, and
small fourth floor windows. Other elements of
design included the colossal arch over the main
entry, decorative touches of Neo-Classical
architecture, and a sweeping staircase leading to
the main entry.
 In
1972 Washington County purchased the present
county courthouse for $115,000 from the federal government, which had used it as a federal post
office and court building. Built in 1933, the
brick and granite structure was designed by
architect James E. Wetmore.
The facade of the building was divided
into two distinct zones, a lower level of smooth
faced stone, the upper level of brick. This
division was enhanced by unique window treatment
and proportion. Other elements of design included
the smooth ashlars quoins, the tiled roof, and the
single dormer on the roof..
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