Cherokee County Courthouse
Feb 06, 03:08 PM
Cherokee County was created by an act of the North Carolina legislature on January 4, 1839. At that time, the state stipulated that any of the buildings put up by the army at Fort Butler could serve as the courthouse and jail until a permanent courthouse could be built. So technically, the first county courthouse was in a vacant building at the army fort.
In 1840, a temporary log building was constructed on the corner of the public square in town and sufficed as the county courthouse until the county built its first permanent brick courthouse on the town square in 1844. The two-story brick building served the county until it was destroyed by the Union army after the end of the Civil War in 1865. The building was destroyed under the order of General Kirk of the Union army shortly after General Lee had surrendered. Apparently, the order to destroy was given prior to Kirk learning of Lee’s surrender.
Once again, the county government was back in a temporary courthouse until the burned-out building could be rebuilt. The new courthouse was rebuilt on the original site on the public square in 1868 and served the county until 1892 when a new, larger courthouse was built here on the site of our current courthouse.
We seem to have bad luck with courthouses, because the one built in 1892 was destroyed by fire in 1895. It was rebuilt in 1896, but burned again in January, 1926.
So, if you count all the courthouses, both permanent and temporary since Cherokee County was formed, the courthouse you see now is our 8th courthouse.
The current Cherokee County Courthouse was built in 1927, and cost $256,000 to build. The courthouse is constructed of Blue Marble that was quarried locally in the Marble community of Cherokee County. The Cherokee County Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
At one time the view of this building was quite impressive. Unfortunately, the site integrity was badly affected when taller buildings were added to Peachtree Street adjacent to the courthouse which now obscure the building from the public square. (source: Pine and Log)
In 1840, a temporary log building was constructed on the corner of the public square in town and sufficed as the county courthouse until the county built its first permanent brick courthouse on the town square in 1844. The two-story brick building served the county until it was destroyed by the Union army after the end of the Civil War in 1865. The building was destroyed under the order of General Kirk of the Union army shortly after General Lee had surrendered. Apparently, the order to destroy was given prior to Kirk learning of Lee’s surrender.
Once again, the county government was back in a temporary courthouse until the burned-out building could be rebuilt. The new courthouse was rebuilt on the original site on the public square in 1868 and served the county until 1892 when a new, larger courthouse was built here on the site of our current courthouse.
We seem to have bad luck with courthouses, because the one built in 1892 was destroyed by fire in 1895. It was rebuilt in 1896, but burned again in January, 1926.
So, if you count all the courthouses, both permanent and temporary since Cherokee County was formed, the courthouse you see now is our 8th courthouse.
The current Cherokee County Courthouse was built in 1927, and cost $256,000 to build. The courthouse is constructed of Blue Marble that was quarried locally in the Marble community of Cherokee County. The Cherokee County Courthouse was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1979.
At one time the view of this building was quite impressive. Unfortunately, the site integrity was badly affected when taller buildings were added to Peachtree Street adjacent to the courthouse which now obscure the building from the public square. (source: Pine and Log)