Richfield Courthouse

The Richfield Courthouse is a one storey gable-roofed wood frame building situated in a remote and densely wooded area in a narrow valley along the west bank of Williams Creek. It is located approximately two kilometres south of Barkerville in the Cariboo region of British Columbia. The courthouse is valued as one of the earliest manifestations of the English Common Law judicial system in British Columbia. Constructed in 1882 on the site of an earlier court building, Richfield Courthouse reflects the continued need for regulation and authority which arose in the gold-rush mining towns of the interior of British Columbia during colonial times.

Originally constructed in the once prosperous mining town of Richfield, the now remote and solitary location of this historic place – in an area where most other physical evidence of habitation lies in ruins – is a significant reminder of the transitory nature of non-native settlement and centres of government in nineteenth century British Columbia. The architectural design of the courthouse is also notable as it provides insight into the functional nature of early public works in British Columbia. Constructed as a more permanent and staid replacement to its log predecessors, the exterior form of the courthouse was designed to accommodate severe winter snowfalls, and the interior was planned to provide superior facilities for the judiciary, jury, and the legal processes of both the Supreme and County courts.

The Richfield Courthouse is protected and maintained by the Barkerville Heritage Trust.

Source: BC Heritage Branch files