Courthouse and Jail

havilahcourthouse: Havilah Courthouse/Jail


From the 1850s to the 1890s, the lure of gold brought people to the mountains and deserts of Kern County. Mining towns such as Claraville, Havilah and Randsburg sprang up almost overnight.

Although most of the residents of these towns were law abiding citizens, some unsavory characters came to the bustling towns of Kern’s mining districts.

In 1866, Havilah became Kern County’s first center of government due to the city’s growing population.

This building, representing a mining era court house and jail, was constructed in 1953 at the museum from salvaged pieces of the court house from Claraville. The once thriving town of Claraville is located near Piute Mountain approximately 50 miles northeast of Bakersfield.


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