This year I decided to travel to each of the 67 counties in Alabama to photograph the courthouses. I specifically did not spend a great deal of time at each stop. There are varied styles and architectural designs throughout the state.
I have included a link to the National Register of Historic Places in Alabama. Many of Alabama’s county courthouses are listed here. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Register_of_Historic_Places_listings_in_Alabama
Autauga County was created on November 21, 1818, and lies in the center of Alabama. Prattville was founded by Daniel Pratt, originally from New Hampshire, who had moved South and found his wealth in building cotton gins. Pratt built the first courthouse in 1870. A second courthouse was constructed in 1906. By 1959, the old Courthouse needed a total renovation. It was completed in 1962. On August 30, 1984, the Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Baldwin County was created on December 21, 1809, as part of the Mississippi Territory, ten years before Alabama became a state. Only two Alabama counties are older than Baldwin, Washington County (1800) and Madison County (1808). Baldwin is the largest county in area in Alabama and is larger than the State of Rhode Island. The town of Blakeley (now Blakeley State Park) served as the county seat until 1820, and then it was moved to Daphne in 1868. In July 1901, the cornerstone for a courthouse was laid in Bay Minette, and the courthouse was completed in October. By 1955, it underwent a major remodel and expansion.
Barbour County was created on December 18, 1832. Ten new Alabama counties were created on that day. The earliest settlers arrived in 1817. Clayton served as the first ‘courthouse’ or log cabin courthouse was erected in 1833. The log cabin was replaced in 1854, and again in 1924, the building was expanded. The new courthouse was completed in December 1961. Eufaula had surpassed Clayton in importance, and a decision was made to have dual courthouses in both Clayton and Eufaula and would share the duties of courts.
Eufaula erected its first courthouse in 1877. It was expanded in 1924; in 1984, it was again updated and modernized. Several notable Alabamians are from Barbour County, including George Wallace, Lurleen Wallace, and Jere Beasley.
Bibb County was created on February 7, 1818. It was initially established as Cahawba County. James Madison appointed William Wyatt Bibb, who was originally from Virginia, in 1817. After his unexpected death in 1820, the county was renamed in his honor. The first courthouse was erected in September 1822. In 1832, another courthouse was completed in Centreville, Alabama, the county seat. In 1858 the courthouse was dismantled and moved to another location which served until 1902. The present courthouse was completed in 1906. In 1988, a restoration program was enacted for the century-old building.
Blount County was created on February 6, 1818, from land ceded to the Federal Government by the Creek Indians in 1814. The county is named for Governor Willie Blount of Tennessee. Blount assisted settlers in Alabama during the Creek War of 1813-14. It is sometimes known as the mineral region of Alabama. Blount County is bordered by Cullman, Marshall, Etowah, Jefferson, Walker, and St. Clair Counties.
Blount County has been dubbed the “Covered Bridge Capital of Alabama.” It has more historic covered bridges standing within a single county than any other in the state. The county celebrates a Covered Bridge Festival every autumn in Oneonta to commemorate its three remaining covered bridges; The Swann Covered Bridge, the Horton Mill Covered Bridge, and the Easley Covered Bridge. Blount County also has many outdoor activities, Rickwood Caverns State Park and Locust Fork of the Black Warrior River.
Bullock County was created on December 5, 1866. Union Springs became the refined center of the county. Bullock was named for Edward C. Bullock, an attorney who served in the State Senate and as a Colonel in the Civil War. He died of yellow fever in 1861. The courthouse was completed in Union Springs in 1872. The courthouse was remodeled in 1954, adding two wings and a story to the structure. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. In 1992, the newly renovated and modern courthouse was unveiled.
Butler County was created on December 13, 1819, and Alabama became a state on December 14, 1819. Greenville is the county seat. The county is named after Captain William Butler, who was killed by Indians in 1818. Captain Butler is interred in a cemetery in Greenville. All four courthouses in Greenville have occupied the exact location beginning with a frame building in the 1820s until a fire in 1853 destroyed the structure and all the county records. The new frame structure was completed in 1854. In 1871, the first brick structure was erected. In 1903, a new distinctive structure with a clock tower was built. In 1995, the courthouse suffered significant damage to the clock tower due to Hurricane Opal. The old dome was replaced in 1997.
Chambers County was created on December 18, 1832, and named for Dr. Henry Chambers. Originally from Virginia, Chambers served with Andrew Jackson and was a respected physician and politician. He served on the Constitutional Convention in 1819 and was elected the U.S. Senator from Alabama. Sadly, he died before taking office. The court was first held in private homes in 1833 until the first temporary log cabin courthouse was constructed. In 1834, the 60×40 brick courthouse was completed. The courthouse had the distinction of being duplicated in Tallapoosa, Macon, and Randolph counties. The next courthouse was completed in 1837 because the work stopped for the Indian Wars in 1836. The courthouse served for 62 years until 1899 when it lacked space for county records. On the dome of the courthouse stands a statue of Justice. A restoration project commenced in 1959, and today it is one of the most intact and well-preserved in the state. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1980.
Calhoun County was created on December 18, 1832, originally known as Benton County. The name was changed to Calhoun on January 29, 1858. A log cabin served as the first courthouse in 1833 and was replaced by a brick building in 1834. Jacksonville served as the county seat of Calhoun County until 1900, when Anniston was established as the county seat after many years of litigation. Today, the original 1902 courthouse still serves as the county judicial headquarters. The courthouse burned in 1931, destroying the interior but leaving the exterior walls intact. It was reconstructed in 1932. Additions were made in 1941 and 1953. The courthouse was placed on a Register of Historic Places in 1985. The most recent renovation was completed in 1992.
Cherokee County was created on January 9, 1836. The Cherokee Indians occupied the area from 1303 to 1838. In 1838, the U.S. Government removed all Cherokees from the county in what became known as the Trail of Tears. Centre (the old English spelling) is the county seat. In 1837, a temporary log courthouse was built. In 1849, a red brick courthouse was built. The courthouse burned in 1882, and most of the records were lost. The second courthouse burned in 1895. Rebuilt in 1896 with the addition of a large clock tower, the courthouse served for 40 years. A fourth courthouse was built in 1936, and in 1952 a courthouse annex was completed.
Chilton County, the “Peach Capital of Alabama,” was created on December 30, 1868. Chilton County is the geographic heart of Alabama. The county is named for William P. Chilton, who served as Chief Justice on the Supreme Court of Alabama in 1852. The first log cabin courthouse burned in 1870. In 1872, a two-story frame structure was constructed. In The courthouse was sold and physically removed from the property in 1894, and a new brick and stone structure was completed in 1896. The interior burned in 1918, but most of the records were saved. A new courthouse was completed in 1919, along with an annex. In 1962, a new courthouse was dedicated.
Choctaw County was created on December 29, 1847. The county seat is Butler. The first courthouse was erected in 1848 and served until 1906. Additions were added in 1956, 1965, and 1970. It suffered damage in a 1995 winter storm but was quickly repaired.
Clarke County was created on December 10, 1812. The county seat is in Grove Hill. The first courthouse was a frame structure dating to 1832. The second courthouse was completed in Grove Hill in 1899. The third courthouse was completed in 1955 and remodeled in 1976.
Clay County was created on December 7, 1866. The county seat is in Ashland. The first courthouse began in 1867 and was destroyed by fire in 1875. The new brick courthouse was commissioned in 1878 and served for 30 years. The present courthouse was dedicated in 1906. U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black was a Clay country native.
Cleburne County was created on December 6, 1866. The county seat is Heflin. Cleburne County is named for General Patrick R. Cleburne of the 15th Arkansas Infantry, who was killed in the Battle of Franklin, Tennessee, in 1864. The first courthouse was constructed in Edwardsville; it was one large room and was used as early as 1868. Eleven years later, a brick building was erected with a large courtroom. In 1905, citizens of Heflin petitioned the Governor to move the courthouse location to Heflin. In 1907, construction of a brick courthouse in Heflin began. In 1938, two wings were added; in 1976, the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Coffee County was created on December 29, 1841. The first county seat was in Wellborn, but when the courthouse was destroyed by fire in 1851, the county seat was moved to Elba. The courthouse in Enterprise was built in 1998 to serve the western part of the county. The Elba courthouse, built in 1903, was added to the National Register of Historic Places on May 8, 1973
Colbert County was created on February 6, 1867. Tuscumbia is the county seat. A house served as the first courthouse in 1870. In 1882, the two-story brick courthouse was completed. The courthouse was damaged by fire in 1908 and rebuilt in 1909. The clock tower is reminiscent of the clock tower on the capital building in Montgomery. In 1948, a north annex was added, and in 1962 another expansion was completed. In 1975, a two-story west wing was completed in 1976.
Conecuh County was established on February 18, 1818. The county seat is Evergreen. The courthouses for the county began as a one-room of log building in Hampden Ridge. Sparta was the following location of the county courthouse. Sparta housed the regional Federal Land office in 1820. By 1860, Sparta was the largest town between Mobile and Pensacola. Sparta lost the land office in 1855, and the courthouse burned in 1866. A new courthouse was built in Evergreen in 1899 and is still used today. Repairs were made to the courthouse in 1935, and in 1958 the county added a new building to the front of the courthouse.
Covington County was created on December 17, 1821. Covington County is named in honor of Brigadier General Leonard Covington, who died in the War of 1812. The fourth courthouse was built of brick in 1896 and stood in the center of Courthouse Square (which is directly in front of the current courthouse). The 1916 courthouse is the fifth to serve the citizens of Covington County.
Crenshaw County was created on November 24, 1866. The county seat is Luverne. Anderson Crenshaw, the namesake for the county, was one of the first Alabama Supreme Court justices. The battle between Rutledge and Luverne for the county seat ended in 1893 when the courthouse was built in 1893. In 1898, a new courthouse was built adorned with a clock tower. In 1955, the third and present courthouse was completed.
Cullman County was created as the sixty-sixth county on January 24, 1877. The county seat is Cullman. The first courthouse was completed in 1879 and served until 1912, when it was damaged by fire. A red brick courthouse was constructed in 1912 with a four-face clock tower. A new courthouse was built in 1964. The invocation was given by then probate judge and future Governor Guy Hunt.
Dale County was created on December 22, 1824. The county was named for Sam Dale, the “Daniel Boone” of Alabama. Richmond was the original county seat of Dale County, Daleville became the second county seat on June 15, 1830, Newton the third county seat on February 9, 1843, and finally, Ozark was designated as the county seat on January 30, 1870. Ozark is the geographic center of the county. A small courthouse served Dale County until November 27, 1884. In 1901, a red brick courthouse was constructed, and by 1965 a new courthouse was needed. The courthouse was dedicated on May 4, 1969.
Dallas County was created on February 9, 1818. The county was named for Alexander James Dallas, who served as Secretary of the Treasury under President James Madison. Dallas’ son, George, was Vice-President under James K. Polk. Dallas County, Alabama, was named for James, and Dallas, Texas, for George. Cahaba was named the original county seat of Dallas County, and in 1865 the county seat was moved to Selma. The first courthouse was erected in Selma in 1840. By 1880, Selma had outpaced Cahaba and was the fourth-largest city in the state. A new courthouse was completed in 1902, and in 1926 an annex was added. After the clock tower collapsed in 1957, a new courthouse was built on the same site in 1960. Martin Luther King Jr. confronted law enforcement in an attempt to register to vote. Demonstrations and protests after the King’s attempt to register led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.
Dekalb County was created on January 9, 1836. The original county seat was Rawlingsville, and subsequently, four more until Fort Payne was recognized in 1876. The first of three courthouses was built beginning in 1876 and was used until 1891 when it was replaced with a grander building. In 1950, the courthouse was moved to its present location. Additions and renovations were completed in 1973, 1975, and 1977.
Elmore County was created on February 18, 1866. The county seat is Wetumpka. The county is named for John A. Elmore, a Revolutionary War general serving in the state legislature. The first courthouse was built in the mid-1880s, and the second courthouse was built in 1932 of granite and concrete. It was added to the Alabama Register of Landmarks in 1977.
Escambia County was created on December 10, 1868. The county seat is Brewton. The first courthouse was built in 1901 and is now used as office space. The present courthouse was built in 1960.
Etowah County was created on December 7, 1866, as Baine County. It is the smallest county in the state. Gadsden is the county seat. The county was named for David W. Baine, a lawyer who ultimately supported Alabama’s succession in 1861. The county’s name was abolished in 1868 and renamed Etowah, derived from a Cherokee word for strong tree. The first courthouse was completed in December of 1870. The second courthouse was three stories tall with a clock tower. The third courthouse began in 1949 and was dedicated in 1950.
Fayette County was created on December 20, 1824. Fayette County has had multiple names through the years, each more colorful than the last. Local lore claims the county has had seven courthouses, the first in a store, the second a log structure that burned in 1854. In May 1854, the third courthouse was constructed and burned in 1866. Then in 1868, the fifth courthouse was completed and used until 1892. The sixth courthouse was completed in 1892. A fire destroyed most of the business district and courthouse in March 1911. The present courthouse was completed in 1912. The business district was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Franklin County was created on February 4, 1818. The county was named for Benjamin Franklin. Russellville is the county seat which was named for William Russell, who fought with Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. Frankfort served as the county seat from 1849-1879 and was where a brick courthouse through the Civil War. Russellville sits at the center of the county and served as the county seat from 1879-1891. In 1890, the courthouse burned. A brick courthouse was completed in 1892 and served until 1953, when the courthouse burned. Construction began in 1954 on the present courthouse. It was built with native limestone. Renovations were completed in 1983.
Geneva County was created on December 26, 1868. The county seat is Geneva and is the 33rd Circuit Court of Alabama. The current Courthouse was opened in 1965.
Greene County was created on December 13, 1819, the day before Alabama became a state. The county seat is Eutaw. The county was named for General Nathaniel Greene, who was a Revolutionary War General. The original county seat was Erie, where the first court was held, and the first courthouse was constructed before the 1830s. The county seat was moved in 1838 to Eutaw, so named after General Greene’s defeat of the British in Eutaw Springs. The first courthouse was constructed in Eutaw in 1839. The courthouse burned in 1868 and was rebuilt within a year. The historic courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. A new courthouse was constructed not far from the historic courthouse in 1993.
Hale County was created on January 30, 1867. The county seat is Greensboro. The county was named for a local attorney Stephen F. Hale and a war hero who practiced in Eutaw. In 1868, a former church building was used as the first courthouse. The courthouse was torn down in 1905 and dedicated in 1908. The courthouse was restored in 1935 after a fire. In 1976, the district surrounding the courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places.
Henry County was created on December 13, 1819. The county seat is Abbeville. The county was named for Patrick Henry, “give me liberty or give me death,” from the Revolutionary War. 1826 saw the first courthouse for the county erected in Columbia, which at the time was the largest town in the county. The first courthouse in Abbeville was a log building built in 1833. In 1889 a brick courthouse was built in the town square with a clock tower. It stood until 1965, when it was demolished and rebuilt in 1967.
Houston County was created on February 9, 1903, as the 67th county of Alabama. The county was named for Governor George Houston of Limestone County. The county seat is Dothan. In 1905, the first courthouse was completed in Dothan. The present courthouse was completed in 1962.
Jackson County was created on December 13, 1819. The first courthouse was located in Scottsboro’s first county seat, Sauta Cave. The second courthouse was built in the second county seat, Bellefonte, and was built in 1827. The courthouse burned in 1844, and in 1863 the Union Army headquartered in the courthouse and burned many of its records. In 1868, Scottsboro became the present county seat, and the courthouse was erected in 1870. That structure was torn down and replaced with the current courthouse built in 1911. In 1954, The courthouse was enlarged. The Scottsboro Boys trial, where two white women accused nine young black men of rape, was held at the courthouse in 1931.
Jefferson County was created on December 13, 1819. The county seat is Birmingham. The first county courthouse was erected in Carrollton in 1820. Then in 1841, in Elyton, the second courthouse burned in 1872 and was rebuilt. Birmingham did not become the county seat until 1873. The first courthouse in Birmingham was completed in 1875 and condemned in 1887. The cornerstone was laid for a new courthouse in 1888 and dedicated on December 31, 1931. An annex was added in 1964, and in 1986 the criminal justice center was completed.
Jefferson County (Bessemer) The courthouse opened in October of 1920. An addition was added in 1949, and a renovation was completed in 1970. In 1980, an Annex was dedicated.
Lamar County was created on February 8, 1877. The county seat is Vernon. The county was named for Lucius Quintus Cincinnatus Lamar, who served as a U.S. Senator in 1877, Secretary of the Interior under President Cleveland, and on the U.S. Supreme Court. It is the only county to have had three different names, Jones, Sanford, and Lamar. The Father of Lamar County is John H. Bankhead, father of William B. Bankhead, who served as Speaker of the House, and actress Tallulah Bankhead. A county courthouse was built in 1870 in Sanford, a former county seat, but it survived only until 1890. In 1909 a courthouse was constructed in Vernon. It was modernized in 1948 and still serves the citizens of Lamar County.
Lauderdale County was created on February 12, 1818. The county seat of Florence was permanently selected in 1822. The county is named for Colonel James Lauderdale, who fought with Andrew Jackson in the War of 1812. Surveyor Ferdinand Sannoner named the town of Florence after Florence, Italy. The first courthouse was erected in 1822 and served until 1899. The second courthouse was built in 1901 and served until 1965, when the present courthouse was constructed.
Lawrence County was created on February 4, 1818. The county seat is Moulton. Moulton is the closest geographic center of the county. Lawrence County was named for Naval Captain James Lawrence, who fought in the War of 1812 and was killed on board the “Chesapeake” when he said, “Don’t give up the ship.” The first courthouse dates to 1820, and the structure burned in 1859. The second courthouse was constructed in 1860. The present courthouse was built on the town square in 1936.
Lee County was created on December 5, 1866. The county seat is Opelika. The county is named for Robert E. Lee, the Civil War general who graduated second in his class at West Point in 1829. President Lincoln offered Lee command of the Union Army, but Lee offered his services to the Confederacy instead because he refused to invade his home state. The first courthouse in Opelika was modeled after the Montgomery County courthouse. The second courthouse was completed in 1898. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1973. In the 1970s, the building fell into disrepair, and in 1987, the Lee County Justice Center was completed. The historic courthouse is still in use and houses several county offices.
Limestone County was created on May 9, 1817. The county seat is Athens. The first courthouse was built in 1820 on the public square. It was replaced by the first brick building in town in 1825. The third courthouse, built in the 1840s, was burned by Union troops in 1864. The courthouse took until 1869 to complete because of the lack of funds for the structure after the war. In 1917, the present courthouse was erected.
Lowndes County was created on January 20, 1830. The county seat is Hayneville. Lowndes County Courthouse is the third oldest courthouse in the State of Alabama. It was the first courthouse built in the town square in about 1831 and served until 1854. The present courthouse was completed in 1858. The building was repaired and enlarged in 1905. It was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. By 1978, the building had fallen into disrepair. After a significant renovation, the building continued to be used in the 1980s. In 1993, court proceedings were halted. It is one of four antebellum courthouses that are still in use today. The others are St. Clair in Ashland, Perry County in Marion, and Coosa County in Rockford.
Macon County was created on December 18, 1832. The county seat is Tuskegee. The county is named for Nathaniel Macon, a Revolutionary War soldier, Speaker of the House, and U.S. Senator. The first courthouse was a log cabin structure built in 1833 and was replaced in 1841 with a brick structure. In 1853 the cornerstone was laid for the third courthouse in the town square. The fourth courthouse was built in 1905 and continues to serve the citizens of Macon County. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. In 1985, a fire destroyed much of the interior of the building. The historic courthouse was rededicated in 1991.
Madison County was created on December 13, 1808, and is the second oldest county in the State. The county seat is Huntsville. The county was named for President John Madison. The first courthouse completed in 1811 was a two-story brick building. In 1819, the Alabama Constitutional Convention met in Huntsville to choose a temporary capital and the first Governor. William Wyatt Bibb was inaugurated in the courthouse’s courtroom. Alabama entered the Union on December 14, 1819, and the Capital was moved to Cahaba. A second courthouse was completed in 1849 and served until 1913. The third courthouse was dedicated in 1914. An annex was added in 1937, and the building was renovated in 1940. In 1967, the fourth and present courthouse was opened. It is an eleven-story structure with a modern design. Here is a great website about the history of the Madison County Courthouse.
Marengo County was created on February 6, 1818. The county seat is Linden. The county is named in honor of the Battle of Marengo in Italy, where Napoleon defeated the Austrians. There is a rich French heritage in Marengo County. The first courthouse was completed in 1827, and it served until destroyed by fire in 1848. The second courthouse was completed in 1848 and still stands in Linden. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The third courthouse was completed in 1902. A fire gutted the building in 1965, and in 1968 the present courthouse was dedicated.
Marion County was created on February 13, 1818. The county seat is Hamilton. The county is named for General Francis Marion, “the Swamp Fox” of the American Revolution. The town of Pikesville was designated as the county seat, and a courthouse was erected in Pikesville in 1820. Unfortunately, no records remain regarding Pikesville. In 1882 a wooden courthouse was built in Hamilton. It was destroyed by fire in 1887. A second courthouse served until 1902. The third courthouse, constructed of sandstone, was completed in 1902. In 1940, an extensive renovation was completed. It was modernized in 1960 when the clock tower was removed.
Marshall County was created on January 9, 1836. The county seat is Guntersville. The first courthouse in Guntersville was a log building, and it was destroyed in 1865. The second courthouse, constructed of brick, was built in 1870. Torn down in 1895, the third courthouse was larger and completed in 1896. The building was remodeled in 1935, and in 1948 an annex was added. In 1963, the structure was remodeled to its present look. Marshall County has a second courthouse in Albertville which was first constructed in 1910 with renovations in 1935. Court is held in both Guntersville and Albertville.
Montgomery County was created on December 6, 1816. The county seat is Montgomery. The county is named for Major Lemuel P. Montgomery, a first cousin of Benjamin Franklin and a lawyer who served with Andrew Jackson in the Battle of Horseshoe Bend. The first courthouse was completed in 1822. The second courthouse was completed in 1838. A third courthouse was built in 1854, and the building was expanded in 1892. In 1958, a fourth courthouse was completed. In 1987, the present four-story courthouse was completed.
Morgan County was created in February 1818. It was initially created as Cotaco County and changed to Morgan in 1821. The county seat is Decatur. The county was named for General Daniel Morgan, who was a Revolutionary War leader. The original county seat for 70 years was Somerville. Decatur was the fastest-growing area in the county. The first courthouse in Decatur was a brick structure in 1891. The courthouse was remodeled in 1918, and in 1927 a fire damaged the structure. The courthouse was rebuilt in 1928. The “Scottsboro Boys” re-trial was held in the Decatur courthouse in 1922, the third trial in 1934,, and the fourth trial in 1937. The hastily built courthouse survived for fifty years. The present courthouse was opened in 1976.
Perry County was created on December 13, 1819. The county seat is Marion. The county was named for Commodore Oliver H. Perry, who defeated the British in the Battle of Lake Erie in 1813. The first courthouse in Marion was built in 1823. The courthouse was damaged in the mid-1830s, and a more substantial courthouse was completed in 1837. A grander marble and brick courthouse began construction in 1855 and is still used today. An annex was added in 1954, and the courthouse was painted white.
Pickens County was created on December 19, 1820. The county seat is Carrollton. The first courthouse was a log structure. In 1832, a formal courthouse was built in the center of the county. The courthouse was burned by Union troops in 1865. A third courthouse was built, and it, too, burned in 1876. Court resumed in the present courthouse in 1878.
Pike County was created on December 17, 1821. The county seat is Troy. The county is named for Zebulon M. Pike, who discovered Pikes Peak in Colorado. Both Louisville and Monticello served as county seats before Troy was selected in 1839. The first court was held in 1839, and Pike County was relatively untouched by the Civil War. A new brick courthouse was completed in 1881. The third and present courthouse was completed in 1958.
Randolph County was created on December 18, 1832. The county seat is Wedowee. The first courthouse was a log structure built in 1836. The second courthouse was completed in 1840. The third courthouse was constructed in brick in 1857 and destroyed by fire in 1896. The fourth courthouse was built in 1897. In 1937, an addition was added. The supposed ‘fire-proof’ courthouse burned in 1940. The present courthouse was built in 1941 and, by the 1980s, needed repair. Between 1985 and 1986, it was gutted and renovated.
Russell County was created on December 18, 1832. The county seat is Phenix City. There has been a long history of county seats for Russell County. The first was in Girard in 1839, then Crockettsville, where the first courthouse was erected in 1841, then Seale, where a courthouse was constructed in 1868 and remodeled in 1908. Seale retained a branch courthouse until 1943. The Seale courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. The county seat was moved to Phenix City in 1935, Phenix City, which now incorporates the town of Girard. The present courthouse was built there in 1949.
St. Clair County was created on November 20, 1818. The county seat is Ashville. The county was named for Arthur St. Clair, an officer in the British army who fought in the French and Indian War in Canada. He relocated to Boston and served under Washington in the Revolutionary War. He served as the territorial governor for the Northwest Territory in 1787 but was removed from office by President Jefferson in 1802. The first courthouse was a log courthouse constructed in 1824 in Ashville. The second courthouse was completed in 1845 using some 155 thousand bricks. In 1886, a two-story wing was added. The Ashville courthouse was remodeled in 1911, 1934, 1964, and 1982.
Pell City is in the southern part of St. Clair County. An ordinance passed in 1901 divided the county into two judicial districts. The first courthouse in Pell City was opened in 1903. The courthouse served until 1956 when the structure was expanded.
Shelby County was created on February 7, 1818. The county seat is Columbiana. The county was named for Isaac Shelby, a surveyor who fought in the Revolutionary War and was the first Governor of Kentucky. The first courthouse was built in Shelbyville, which no longer exists but the courthouse site is in the town limits of Pelham. It was a log courthouse where the court was held until 1826. Columbiana is located in the central point of the county. A small schoolhouse building served as the first courthouse in Columbiana until 1854, when a permanent courthouse was erected. It was expanded in 1881 and served the county until 1908. A new building was built in 1908, and in 1955 a three-story annex was added. In 1991 an expansion was added to the annex.
Sumter County was created on December 18, 1832. The county seat is Livingston. The county was named for General Thomas Sumter, a Revolutionary War hero serving in the U.S. Senate. The first courthouse was a log structure in 1833 and served the county until 1837. In 1838 a second courthouse was constructed but collapsed and was torn down. Sumter became the center of antebellum civilization in 1840. A third courthouse was constructed in 1839 and served until 1901, when it was destroyed by fire. Its cornerstone was laid in 1902, and the two-story brick and stone building still serves the county. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1977.
Tallapoosa Count was created on December 18, 1832. The county seat is Dadeville. The first county seat was Okfuskee since it had the largest population. The first courthouse was built in 1832 by the man who served as the justice of the peace, and the first court took place in 1833. Dadeville was selected as the permanent county seat in 1834. A log structure served as the first courthouse in Dadeville. The first permanent courthouse was completed in 1839. In 1861, the second courthouse was completed. In 1901, a new courthouse was constructed around the existing courthouse. Additions were made in 1929 and 1947. The third and present courthouse was completed in 1960. Alexander City became the largest city in the county, and in 1889, the state legislature approved a circuit court in Alexander City. The privately funded courthouse was completed in 1890. While it only lasted 13 years because of the great fire of 1902. A second courthouse was built and served for 40 years. Today, the circuit court meets in the Alexander City City Hall.
Talladega County was created on December 18, 1832. Talladega was declared the permanent county seat in 1833. The first courthouse was a log house. In 1844, the first permanent courthouse was completed. Talladega has the distinction of being the oldest continuous-serving courthouse in use in the state. The courthouse was renovated in 1882. In 1905, the courthouse was repaired, and an annex added. In 1911, another annex was added. The structure lost the clock tower in 1912 to a tornado. In 1925 a lightning strike started a fire, it burned, and the courthouse was rebuilt. In 1972, the courthouse was completely renovated. Its rededication in 1977 celebrated the 137th year of continuous use, and 1982 saw the 150th year of the county’s founding.
Tuscaloosa County was created on February 7, 1818. The county seat is Tuscaloosa. There have been nine facilities that have served as courthouses. The first courthouse was completed in 1820 and was a log structure. Then in 1821 court was moved to the Masonic Lodge. In 1822 a brick structure contrasted in Newton, which is now the Martin Luther King Jr. boulevard area. This courthouse existed until 1842 when a tornado destroyed the area. Newton is now the historic district of Tuscaloosa. The fourth courthouse was located where the present City Hall stands. Then in 1830, a fifth courthouse was located on Greensboro Ave and 7th Street. In 1845, the sixth courthouse was moved back to the old Masonic building and served for 62 years. In 1908 the seventh courthouse, a two-story structure, was completed. The McLester Hotel was used as a temporary eighth courthouse in 1962. The ninth and present courthouse, a seven-story structure was dedicated in 1964. Governor George C. Wallace addressed the attendees.
Walker County was created on December 26, 1823. The county seat is Jasper. The county is named for John Williams Walker, who was Alabama’s first U.S. Senator. The first courthouse in Jasper was a log cabin on land given to the county by Dr. Edward G. Musgrove. The courthouse was burned during the Civil War in 1865. The structure was repaired during Reconstruction, the building burned again in 1877, and a third burned in 1884. A brick courthouse was completed in 1886. The county was prosperous, and a new courthouse was built on the existing site in 1907. The courthouse was struck by fire for the fifth time. The present courthouse was completed in 1933. A tornado damaged the building in 1974, and a new annex was added in 1976.
Washington County was Alabama’s first county created on June 4, 1800. The county seat is Chatom. The county was named for George Washington. The county initially comprised more than twenty-seven thousand square miles. 28 Mississippi and 29 Alabama counties were carved out of its boundaries. McIntosh Bluff was named the first county seat. The first court hearings were held in McIntosh’s Bluff in 1803. Harry Toulmin, a Territorial District Judge, relocated the county seat to Wakefield, which served until 1809. Franklin was named the county seat in 1807 and served until 1815. “Old” St. Stephens became the fourth county seat in 1815 and served until 1825. The fifth county seat was designed in 1828 in Millry. In 1842, Barryton was named the sixth county seat of the county. “New” St. Stephens was named the seventh county seat in 1848, and a courthouse was constructed in 1854. The Masons maintained the building, and the Alabama Historical Commission wants to add it to the National Register of Historic Places. In 1907, the eighth county seat was established in Chatom, and a courthouse was constructed in 1908. Governor George C. Wallace dedicated the new and present courthouse in Chatom in 1965.
St. Stephens served as the capital of the Alabama territory in 1817. The first state bank was chartered in St. Stephens.
Wilcox County was created on December 13, 1819. The county seat is Camden. The county is named for Lieutenant Joseph M. Wilcox, an army officer who Indians killed before the Creek Indian War in 1813. The first county seat was Canton, where a two-story courthouse was constructed in 1823. The second county seat was Barboursville in 1833, which served until 1857. Barboursville’s name was changed to Camden in 1841. A new courthouse was completed in 1859. In 1963 two additions were added to the structure. The present courthouse was built in 1978, and the former courthouse became the Wilcox County Library.
Winston County was created on February 12, 1850. The county seat is Double Springs. The county was named for John A. Winston, who was the first native-born Alabamian to become Governor of the State. He served from 1853-1857. The first county seat was Houston, then to New Houston. No trace of the log courthouse structure remains there. Double Springs was designated as the county seat in 1884 since it was the closest to the center of the county. The first courthouse was built and burned in 1891. It was rebuilt in 1894. In 1911 an annex was added. In 1929, the courthouse was remodeled and expanded. In the 1950s, an addition was made. In 1962, the jail addition was to the rear of the structure. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.
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