Located in downtown Santa Cruz do Sul, on the corner of Borges de Medeiros Street and Tenente Coronel Brito Street, behind the Bandeira Square, the Old Courthouse Building, as it is known, is an impressive two-level construction. It was inaugurated in 1903 with neoclassical influence, characterized by architectural shapes that recall the classical period of ancient Greece and Rome. The project and construction of the building were carried out by the Santa Cruz architect Heinrich Schütz, with the aim of creating a large building to house the Santa Cruz District school.

In 1952, the building was purchased by the state of Rio Grande do Sul and it became the City’s courthouse. In 1998, after being listed as cultural heritage, the State Historical and Artistic Heritage Institute authorized an exchange between the judiciary and the City Hall. The City Hall would give a piece of land for the construction of a new courthouse and, in return, would become the owner of the protected building.

After the restoration in 2003, the City’s Planning, Budget and Management Office was installed in the building, where it remained until 2010. The historical building was last used in 2019, when it housed the City Map Center.

The future plan for the building is to become the Municipal Historical Archive.

To ensure its preservation and prevent damages caused by the weather, the building undergoes ocasional interventions when necessary, since it is currently closed to the public.

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