The Spokane County Courthouse is one of the more prominent features on the Spokane skyline. It was built in 1894-1895 by David Fotheringham. Architect Willis Ritchie’s award-winning design was chosen through a design competition in 1893. The dry-pressed brick used for the building was the first to be produced in the area; previously such brick had to be shipped from the East Coast. The building has housed Spokane County government since 1895 and is one of the finest examples of French Renaissance architecture in the West.