Site of First and Second State Capitols at Sacramento

California legislated out of a rented county courthouse. The first one stood here and held the third session in 1852 and the fifth in 1854, then burned that July and was rebuilt inside six months. The second served as the capitol from 1855 until 1869, when the legislature finally moved into a building of its own. A third courthouse followed on the same ground. The county jail replaced it in 1989 and stands here now.

What the plaque says

Sacramento's first county courthouse, formerly located on this site, served as California's state capitol from January 16, 1852 to May 4, 1852 for the third session of the legislature and from March 1, 1854 to May 15, 1854 for the fifth session. Destroyed by fire on July 13, 1854, it was rebuilt in less than six months. The second courthouse served as the capitol from 1855-1869 when a transition began to the current statehouse. A third courthouse occupied this site and remained until replaced by the county jail in 1989. California Registered Historical Landmark No. 869, January 11, 1974 Plaque placed by California State Parks in cooperation with the Sacramento Trust for Historic Preservation Dedicated June 27, 2007

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Sacramento — 0.5 mi
  The Gold Rush river port that became the state capital, and jacked itself ten feet into the air to stop drowning.

More markers nearby

• Site of Congregational Church — steps away
• Old Folsom Powerhouse-Sacramento Station A — steps away
• Site of First African Methodist Episcopal Church on the Pacific Coast — steps away
• Site of China Slough — 0.2 mi