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Lawrence County Courthouse

Introduction

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The Lawrence County Courthouse is Monticello's best-known landmark. It has served as the county's seat of government since its construction in 1913 and is the finest example of Classical Revival architecture in the county. Designed by architect Reuben Harrison Hunt, the courthouse features a red-brick exterior with limestone trim, a hipped roof with red tiles, pilasters (columns), and a two-story portico with Tuscan columns. The adjoining one-story structure behind the building is the county jail but it is not considered historic.

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Lawrence County Courthouse was built in 1913 and is considered the best example of Classical Revival architecture in the county.

Property, Cloud, Architecture, Landmark

Backstory and Context

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The square on which the courthouse stands is one of the oldest continuously used in the state. When Lawrence County was established in 1815, local resident Hiram Runnels deeded the property to the county and the first courthouse was erected shortly thereafter. The present building is the county's fourth courthouse. Rueben Harrison Hunt, who was based in Chattanooga, Tennessee, was well known throughout the South in the early 20th century and designed many in buildings in Mississippi. The courthouse was remodeled in 1924 to fix the leaky roof. As a result, the roof, which originally featured a large cupola, was replaced by the Mediterranean-style roof seen today; other changes to the building were made as well. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1993.

Sources

Sanders, Todd. "Lawrence County Courthouse." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. March 4, 1993. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/98dce41f-0fcf-4051-bbaf-52bff84e096c.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lawrence_County_Mississippi_Courthouse.jpg

Additional Information