Inside Look is a Merced Sun-Star series where we take readers behind the scenes at restaurants, new businesses, local landmarks and news stories.
Once the center for justice and politics in the area, the historic Merced County Courthouse Museum now serves to educate current and future generations while preserving the local history of the county and Central Valley.
Built in 1875, the building served as the superior courthouse until 1950 and used as a county administration building until 1970, according to Sarah Lim, director of the Merced County Courthouse Museum. The building went through an extensive renovation in the 1970s and opened as a history museum in 1983.
A photo of the Merced County Courthouse on display at what is now the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
An exhibit in memory of W.E. “Bill” Bedesen, who was one of four students in Merced’s first high school graduating class and went on to serve as County Surveyor, at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
Several permanent exhibits along with three galleries serving as temporary exhibitions, make up the museum’s more than 8,500 square feet of exhibition space.
“The museum is not only a exhibition gallery to showcase our county history, it’s also an archival repository that preserves our county records.” said Lim.
Some of those records include artifacts and documents dating back to the early 1850s before Merced organized as a county in 1855. Earlier this year, the museum named its archive room the McCorry-Cunningham Archives, after the families of James Cunningham and William McCorry.
According to Lim, some of the documents in the museum’s archives include gold rush letters, letters of correspondence between James Cunningham and his family after he came to Merced from Ireland dating back in the early 1850s. According to the county , Cunningham and McCorry contributed to the development and growth of Merced County. Descendants still reside in the area, Lim said.
A photo of James Cunningham along with letters of correspondence from his family members dating back to 1851, inside the collection of archives at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. Cunningham traveled to Merced County from Ireland and helped organize the county in 1855.
Various California reports inside the collection of archives at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
The Merced County Courthouse Museum is operated in partnership with the Merced County Historical Society. The museum is funded by donations. Memberships and fundraisers. The shutting down of the museum for a time during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowed the museum and its staff time to catch up on various projects and the museum now has a collection of digital archives accessible to researchers. Lim said there are even virtual exhibits that were developed as a result of the pandemic.
“They’re able to use our digital records instead of putting their hands on the precious historical documents that we have,” said Lim. “We have done so much to bring ourselves into the 21st century, although we are still in a very, very old building from the 19th century.”
The museum collaborates with the University of California, Merced, to make some of its collections public domain and accessible through Calisphere, a digital collection of unique and historically important artifacts for teaching, research and exploration. According to the Calisphere website, the site’s collections have been digitized and contributed to by all 10 University of California campuses, as well as other libraries, museums and archives throughout the state.
Altars from a Chinese temple that was located in the 400 block of 14th Street in Merced’s Chinatown in the 1930s on display in the Chinese Temple Room at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
A United States of America Declaration of Intention dating back to 1942, from the collection of archives at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
Lim said although it’s convenient to look up information online, she feels the experience of visiting the museum and taking a tour led by the museum volunteers is priceless.
“Because we have permanent and temporary exhibits going on here, there’s always something new to see at the courthouse museum,” said Lim.
The museum now has a slogan for the first time in its existence.
“It is Merced County Courthouse Museum, see something old and learn something new.”
The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m..
A part of Grist Mill on display at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
Charm Stones and other historical items on display at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
The Merced County Courthouse Museum located at West 21st and N streets in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
An exhibit celebrating 60 years of the Merced County Times newspaper at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
Historical agricultural items on display at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
A photo dating back to the 1920s, shows a Merced area blacksmith shop, at the Merced County Courthouse Museum in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
The dome of the Merced County Courthouse Museum located at West 21st and N streets in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Sept. 19, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
The Merced County Courthouse Museum located at West 21st and N streets in Merced, Calif., on Thursday, Aug. 22, 2024. Built in 1875, the building served as a courthouse until 1950 and as a county administration building until 1970. The building opened as a history museum in 1983.
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