Pierce Courthouse, also known as Pierce Historic Site, is a historic wooden building located in Pierce

Pierce, Idaho

Pierce is a city in Clearwater County, Idaho. Elias D. Pierce and Wilbur F. Bassett made the first discovery of gold in Idaho , on Orofino Creek in 1860, a mile north of Pierce....

, Idaho

Idaho

Idaho is a state in the Rocky Mountain area of the United States. The state's largest city and capital is Boise. Residents are called "Idahoans". Idaho was admitted to the Union on July 3, 1890, as the 43rd state....

. It was built in 1862 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places

National Register of Historic Places

The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...

 in 1972.

The courthouse, and the town of Pierce itself, is named after Elias D. Pierce

Elias D. Pierce

Elias Davidson Pierce was one of the key figures in the gold rush in 1860 to Idaho.Piece was a native of Ireland. He immigrated to the United States and lived in South Carolina and Indiana before going to California as part of the gold rush. In 1852 Pierce served in the California House of...

, a local metal prospector

Prospecting

Prospecting is the physical search for minerals, fossils, precious metals or mineral specimens, and is also known as fossicking.Prospecting is a small-scale form of mineral exploration which is an organised, large scale effort undertaken by mineral resource companies to find commercially viable ore...

 active in the mid-19th century. Later the town of Pierce became the Shoshone County (Washington Territory

Washington Territory

The Territory of Washington was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from February 8, 1853, until November 11, 1889, when the final extent of the territory was admitted to the Union as the State of Washington....

) seat. The Pierce Courthouse housed governmental functions until 1885.

The site is operated by the Idaho State Historical Society

Idaho State Historical Society

The Idaho State Historical Society is a historical society located in the U.S. state of Idaho that preserves and promotes Idaho’s cultural heritage. The society's vision is to inspire, enrich, and reach out to all Idahoans by providing leadership in the areas of preservation and dissemination of...

.