Old Scott County Courthouse
The Old Scott County Courthouse is a historic government building located at 282 Court Street in Huntsville, Tenn., the county seat of Scott County. The structure represents more than 170 years of continuous county governance on its site and remains an active administrative facility, housing several county offices and the Scott County Historical Society.
Location and Setting
The courthouse occupies a prominent position on the courthouse square in downtown Huntsville. The First National Bank of Huntsville, itself a historic structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places, sits on the same courthouse square, and the Old Scott County Jail is located directly behind the old county courthouse. Together, these buildings form the historic civic core of Huntsville. A plaque honoring Scott County settlers who served in the Revolutionary War is placed outside the old courthouse in downtown Huntsville.
History and Construction
First Courthouse (1851)
A courthouse and jail were built by 1851, and the Town of Huntsville was officially on the map. This original structure served the county through the tumultuous years of the Civil War and the postwar era of industrial expansion.
Second and Third Courthouses (1874 and 1906)
The first courthouse in Scott County was erected in 1851. It would be used until 1874, when a new courthouse was constructed. A third courthouse was built in 1906 and still stands today.
The third courthouse was designed by Chamberlin & Company and constructed by Ruth Holmes in 1906. The jail was one of several buildings in Huntsville built of native stone, along with the Scott County Courthouse in 1906, the Huntsville Supply Store, and the Huntsville Bank. A committee was appointed to plan the construction of both the jail and the courthouse.
The 1946 Fire and Reconstruction
While the courthouse still stands, it was heavily damaged by fire in 1946. As the interior was being rebuilt, the exterior was enclosed in a brick facade that hides the original stones. This means the building visible today is, architecturally, a layered structure: the original exterior walls of the courthouse — which, like the old jail next door, were constructed of sandstone — still exist beneath the newer brick facade that dates back some 60 years.
Architecture
The courthouse as it stands today reflects two distinct construction eras. The sandstone core dates to 1906, part of a cohesive phase of civic construction on the courthouse square. In 1906, a new courthouse square was built in Huntsville using a beige-colored native sandstone for the buildings’ outer walls. The post-fire brick exterior, added during the 1946–1947 reconstruction, gives the building its current outward appearance while preserving the original masonry beneath.
Current Occupants and Function
The courthouse currently houses the offices of the Scott County Clerk, Tax Assessor, and Register of Deeds, as well as the Scott County Historical Society.
In addition to two courtrooms, the courthouse was once home to many of Scott County’s judicial offices. In 2008, most of those offices were vacated with the opening of the Scott County Justice Center.
The Scott County Clerk’s office is responsible for maintaining official county records and administering a range of public services. The Register of Deeds maintains records of property transactions, and the Assessor of Property determines the assessed value of real estate within the county for taxation purposes.
See Also: Guide to Government
Historical Significance
The courthouse site has witnessed many of the defining moments in Scott County and Tennessee history.
Civil War Era
On June 4, 1861, future president Andrew Johnson stood on the courthouse steps in Huntsville and delivered a fiery speech against secession. The speech helped galvanize local sentiment: a larger percentage of Scott County citizens voted against secession — 541 to 19 — than any other county in the state. Following Tennessee’s decision to join the Confederacy, County Court voted to approve a resolution announcing Scott County’s decision to secede from Tennessee and form the Independent State of Scott.
Revolutionary War Memorial
Several settlers of the lands that would become Scott County fought in the Revolutionary War. Today, a plaque in their honor is placed outside the old Scott County Courthouse in downtown Huntsville, honoring soldiers including Daniel Blevins, William Chambers, James Chitwood, Joseph Griffith, Joseph Hatfield, David Lawson, John Lawson, James McDonald, Joseph McPeters, John Reed, Timothy Sexton, and Dennis Trammell.
Relationship to Other County Facilities
The Old Scott County Courthouse is one of three principal government facilities in Huntsville serving Scott County. The Scott County Office Building at 2845 Baker Highway, opened in 1997, houses the County Mayor, Trustee, Election Commission, and Office on Aging. The Scott County Justice Center at 535 Scott High Drive, in use since 2008, contains two courtrooms, a jail, and office suites housing the Sheriff’s Department, Circuit Court, Chancery Court, Criminal Court, General Sessions Court, and the District Attorney General.