Chicot County Courthouse

The Chicot County Courthouse was built in 1956 and has served as the seat of county government ever since. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2006 for its Art Deco architecture and association with the growth of the city and Chico County in the 1960s. The three-story building features window casings spanning the second and third-story windows, scroll relief detailing, and Art-Deco inspired ironwork.

Chico County was established in 1823 and Lake Village became the county seat in 1857 (the first two previous county seat towns, Villemont and Columbia, both eroded into the Mississippi River, and the third, Masona, was a temporary location). The first courthouse was built in 1857 and was used until 1907 when it was torn down to make way for the second courthouse. That courthouse, which featured a Classical-style portico with four columns, was used until 1956 and torn down and replaced by the present courthouse. Architect Herbert Voelker, who worked primarily in Texas, designed it; it is the only building he designed in Arkansas. The building has largely remained unaltered since its construction.

The courthouse was built during a period of economic decline in the city. Farmers and laborers had difficulty competing with mechanized farming equipment and as as result, many people moved to cities looking for work and businesses closed. However, in 1957 the new mayor and county government began working to revive the area. This included building new infrastructure (roads and sewers) and cleaning up Lake Chicot. Damns and a pumping plant were built, and the lake was restocked with fish. The courthouse contributed significantly to this revitalization of the city and county, which adds to its historical significance.

Groshong, Danny. "Chicot County Courthouse." Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Last Updated May 19, 2015. https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/chicot-county-courthouse-7528.

Pumphrey, Clint. "Chicot County Courthouse." National Park Service - National Register of Historic Places Nomination Form. February 1, 2006. https://catalog.archives.gov/OpaAPI/media/26141677/content/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_AR/05001592.pdf.