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Hampton County Courthouse

Introduction

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Hampton County Courthouse has served as the seat of county government since 1878, when the original building was constructed. Designed in the Italianate style, the main entrance (on the north side) features a portico with Tuscan columns and a large elliptical arch where the second floor doors are located. The courthouse was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

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Hampton County Courthouse was originally built in 1878. It has housed the county government offices ever since.

Plant, Building, Sky, Flower

Backstory and Context

Text-to-speech Audio

Hampton County was established in 1878, a year after a group of residents in northern Beaufort County asked the state to create a new county. On February 18th, the state passed a law to create Hampton County, which became the state's thirty-third county and was named after Governor Wade Hampton. The town of Hampton was chosen to be the county seat for its central location. Local residents donated the land and materials for the courthouse. It is believed that it was designed using plans similar to those of architect Robert Mills. Interestingly, the town was originally called "Hampton Courthouse" but was later shortened to simply "Hampton." The courthouse was expanded in 1925 and a two-story annex was built around 1935. All county government offices were housed in the courthouse until 1976.

Sources

Burr, Julie. "Hampton County Courthouse." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. December 12, 1978. https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/696fe507-429e-4c13-94ae-b51b2de04c79.

Image Sources(Click to expand)

Wikimedia Commons: https://npgallery.nps.gov/GetAsset/696fe507-429e-4c13-94ae-b51b2de04c79/

Additional Information