We have come a long way, since the early 1900's, wood jailhouses, saloons, and the Wild West! And what we built was hard, expensive, and irreplaceable.

Contra Costa County has revealed a plan to demolish a Nationally known historic 1903 Jail and a World War II era 1944 Annex, and permanently close Pine Street for one block and build an expanse of concrete County Campus plaza.  No public hearings, no mitigation for the loss of historic resources to our communities and the public. No review about climate change caused by a massive demolition project with toxins and granite dust filling the air for 3 years! Their full project is around 174 MILLION dollars!      *Yes -tear down the out-of-date crumbling, 60-year-old, toxin-filled skyscraper. *Yes -build a new 3 story County office building in its place with underground parking.  *Even yes -take down the 1944 Annex that they won't let us save, no matter what because they "don't like it", and don't want you to know it COULD be saved by non-profit monies, with its huge expanse of space and high ceilings for a beautiful Art Center. 

But -NO to BULLDOZING A 120-YEAR-OLD SOLID GRANITE -hand-chiseled 1903 building, designed by the architect dynasty of Mooser, who built buildings in the S.F. Ghiradelli Square.  One of those buildings is proudly still standing and a National landmark; built by William Mooser Sr., who wrote the book on codes in San Fransico, in the beginning of using building codes for strength and safety.          There is a reason why our 1901 Finance Building (originally the Courthouse) and it's 1903 jail have withstood Port Chicago explosions and earthquakes over all these many years!

This Mooser II built jail is one of only 3 jails of its stature and age standing in the State of California today.

Losing history to a modern plaza for a modern concrete area for employees to eat their lunch also takes desperately needed business away from our Main Street eateries and shops!  There has been NO STUDY on the economic effect of building a dead-end plaza that will be vacant and abandoned after 5 and on weekends.

We have the investors to save the 1903 jail and add it to the downtown economy. No County money needed!  Then the new plaza could be smaller (less impact on downtown) and better integrated with businesses near it for a vibrant area after 5 and on weekends.

Please sign our URGENT petition to have the County Board of Supervisors stop a project that will be the biggest waste of money for years to come, and the biggest hit to our downtown economy since the last recession.  And save a beautiful building for adaptive reuse that will serve us all for generations to come!

The City of Martinez, and our residents, own the part of Pine Street they want to turn into County property forever.  The City needs to have MEANINGFUL conversations about the preservation of the jail, and integrated historic design around it, so they can build the modern plaza on Pine Street area in return.

A revision is all that is needed. Save $2 million for the County, don't tear down 1903, and integrate the new plaza with our Historic Martinez identity.

The Architectural Preservation Foundation of Contra Costa County (a small group of concerned citizens) urgently needs your donation (required by the County for us to get access to documents they have not been forthcoming with for our court case against them).              

Donate by card at~ https://go.rallyup.com/aed19f

or by check to~ APFCCC at P.O.Box 84, Martinez, CA 94553 

or text~  Saveourjail to 855-202-2100 to get a link

If we lose THIS exquisite building, will we lose the old Post Office with it's murals or one of our other historic resources next? The County already bulldozed an entire Victorian neighborhood for the new jail complex and the old skyscraper. ~We are the birthplace of Joe DiMaggio and the home of John Muir. We are Historic Martinez and have spent 50 years building our economy on that basis while providing the goods and services needed by County employees for 170 years. But without preservation, you may not ever know that.  Our children would never know that. And generations to come will have nothing of what is our DNA, building communities together.