A black and white postcard of the Cochise County Courthouse, circa 1930s. Note the automobiles in the image and that highway 80 has not been constructed, only a road is located in its location. The front caption reads: “Court House Bisbee, Arizona C-687”. The postcard is unused and was published by L.L. Cook Company Milwaukee. Chris Mullinax Collection.

The county seat of Cochise County was moved from Tombstone to Bisbee in 1929 necessitating the construction of a new courthouse on Quality Hill. The land was donated by the Phelps Dodge Corporation and Tucson architect Roy Place was hired. The construction was temporarily hindered by a strike of 30 workers on January 9, 1931. The design is an example of art deco architecture with white walls hinting at adobe buildings. Both the exterior and interior feature art deco art that was added as part of the WPA Federal Art Project. The interior was furnished by the Phelps Dodge Mercantile company. A small dedication ceremony was held on Friday, October 16, 1931 and was attended by a number of attorneys and judges. In 1935, the copper coated Iron Man statue sculpted by Raymond Phillips Sanderson was unveiled in front of the courthouse.

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