Scott County Office Building
The Scott County Office Building is a government facility located at 2845 Baker Highway in Huntsville, Tenn., serving as the primary administrative center for Scott County government. The building has been in use since 1997 and functions as the hub of county executive and administrative operations.
Location and Setting
The Scott County Office Building is situated near downtown Huntsville, the county seat of Scott County. Scott County lies on the northern Cumberland Plateau, along the Tennessee–Kentucky border, and is home to approximately 22,000 residents. Huntsville itself occupies a central position within the county’s geography. The terrain around Huntsville is relatively flat compared to the broader county, which was one of the reasons the area was originally chosen as the county seat when Scott County was established — the site was centrally located and accessible.
Offices and Functions
The Office Building houses several key departments and elected offices of Scott County government.
The building is home to the offices of the Scott County Mayor and Trustee, the Office on Aging, and the Scott County Election Commission. The County Mayor’s office serves as the executive seat of county government, while the Trustee’s office is responsible for the collection of county property taxes and related financial functions. The Office on Aging provides services and resources to the county’s senior population.
As of 2026, the County Mayor’s office is held by Jerried Jeffers, and the Trustee’s office is held by Rena Erwin, both reachable at the Baker Highway address.
See Also: Guide to Government
Role in County Governance
The Office Building plays a central role in the day-to-day and deliberative functions of Scott County’s governing bodies.
The building includes a conference room that is frequently used for town hall meetings by elected officials at the state and federal levels during their visits to Scott County. It is also the site of the Scott County Commission’s work sessions and monthly meetings, held on the first and third Monday of each month, respectively, at 5 p.m. In the event of a holiday, the meetings are bumped back to the next day (Tuesday) at 5 p.m.
Relationship to Other County Facilities
The Office Building is one of several facilities that together form Scott County’s governmental infrastructure in Huntsville. Other significant county buildings include the Old Scott County Courthouse at 282 Court Street, which houses the County Clerk and the Register of Deeds, and the Scott County Justice Center at 535 Scott High Drive, which has been in use since 2008 and contains two courtrooms, a jail, and office suites for the Sheriff’s Department, Circuit Court, Chancery Court, Criminal Court, General Sessions Court, and the District Attorney General.
Historical Context
Scott County was established by the Tennessee General Assembly in 1849. In December 1849, the legislature created Scott County from portions of Campbell, Fentress, and Morgan counties, and twenty-five acres of land were purchased from George McDonald and Emanuel Phillips to establish the new town of Huntsville as the county seat. A courthouse and jail were built by 1851.
The county and its seat of government have a distinctive place in American Civil War history. During the Civil War, Scott County was a Southern Unionist stronghold, voting against secession from the Union by a higher percentage than any other Tennessee county. In defiance of Tennessee’s secession, the county court voted to approve a resolution announcing Scott County’s decision to secede from Tennessee and form the “Free and Independent State of Scott.” This act of political protest became a lasting part of Scott County’s identity, though the matter was formally and humorously resolved in 1986 when the Scott County Board of Commissioners passed a resolution dissolving the Free and Independent State of Scott and petitioning for readmission to Tennessee.
Throughout this history, county government administration in Huntsville has evolved considerably. The Scott County Office Building, opened in 1997, represents the modern era of that administration, providing a purpose-built facility to meet contemporary governmental needs separate from the historic courthouse.