For nearly six decades, the building served as the center of county government. During that time, the county's population grew by 2,000 percent from 18,347 in 1910 to 376,430 in 1970. The need for a larger government center prompted the County in the early 1960s to acquire 81.7 acres in east Ventura at the northwest corner of Victoria Avenue and Telephone Road. The relocation of county government offices to east Ventura was accelerated by concerns about the seismic stability of the downtown courthouse.