UJ

hJllrl 10<100 (July 19(9)

UI'!ll ED STAT ES DEPART Mnn or Til [ It'll [1<1 Ol~ NATIONAL PARK 51: IWleE

(Type al f ~n(ries -'- cOlllpfeie applicnble sections)

(Chec1{ One)

o District lX.l Sui Iding Public Public Acquisition:

o SI te o In Process

ST 1\ T F:

Davidson FOR NPS USE ONLY

DATE

ST A TUS

eg Occupied Yes:

0 Unoccupied f.Xl Restricted o Structure

Cl Oblecl

o Private

o ,Both o Boing Con5idered o Preservotion work 0 Unrestricted

p n E !'I I: 1'-1'f lJ S r Ono or n/n'fl II.'! IIp/l,oprin/n)

[] Agrlcullulal

[] Comrnotclal

I 1 Ec/uc-atiol1nl

1.1 tnlnrlnillmnnt

y

ocl [J rl r:J

Governmont 0 Industrial r:::J Military IJ MIJ50Ull1 1-~1

street

Davidson County Courthouse I----------------~ 3TnEET ""'D ~tuMBEn:

West Center street on 'lOWt~:

Lexington iii i) In~o>~;" Ihi fAT ION It,; t:; X I ,;d

·_'., __ ._.¥_.,_.w __ ~'=U.

I '''I I tIl: r,lIl1lJ r Y I

1111'0,11 ropy 1'011 !i,j,i-wy IlI:COr~n~l:

r. I I Y () I 1 ., CJ W f'l I

Parl<

Privata Res idonce

Roliol a1l5

Scientific

Fndorn I

S1 AT r

111 fHO I·lI()

o Transportation

o Other (Spoclfy)

North

1 I Stain 101 County

M n No

o Comments

Local

CODE

()

o c z

In Z -\ 11 -< Z C ~ m tIl J1

U r-·1

,,'

11 0 ;u

Z -u U1

C U'l

m 0 z r-"<

. i

EXCEl IIent !Xl Good Fair

(C/IOCIr On.,)

o Deterioralod

CONDITION (Clleck One)

KJ A Ilered o Unaltered

DESCRIBE THE PRESENT: AND ORIGINA..L PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

o Ruins

(Chock One)

o Moved Original Sile

The old Davidson' 'County Courthouse, built of stuccoed stone, is a superb temple-form building with a prostyle hexastyle portico The slightly attenuated fluted Roman Corinthian columns support a well~ executed entablatuTe Esp~cially notable is the cartouche in theiympanum

;molded in high relief Above the portico an octagonal clock tower lrJhich rests on a low square plinth The sides of the tow~r are marked by louvered round-headed arches, those parallel to the edges of the plinth being wider than those at the angles At the toP( of the' tower is a semispherical roof resting on a bold modillion cornice

The only openings on the front wall of the building are the large central pedimented portal and a triple window with rOlU.1d arched heads abov it The great expanse of unbroken wall beneath the portico is a brilliant subtlety of design which increases the visual effect of the fine detail of the order

The sides of the building are seven bays long wi th a round-headed window above a trabeated one in each bay 0 At either end ~bhe terminal bays are flanl(ed by 'single fluted pilasters

The rear elevation features a fully developed pediment which rests on a pilaster at each end.. There is no ornament in the tympanum On the first level is a wide central entrance with double doors, transom, and paneled soffit This is flanked by long rectangular -windows on either sidCl. In tho second story thoro aro four windowD wiLlI. ronnd rrrejtOd. lHHl.du

All first floor 1rifindows have four-over-four sash while the second floor ",Tindows have six-over-four The building rests on a high 'foundation of roughly dressed ashla~

m

m

n

On the interior most of the original first floor arrangement has been VI

changed, but many of the heavy door alld window cases have survived. Acrose the front of the building runs a stair hall with broad flights of steps ascending at tbach end.. These featuro enormous newels ~ll1d heD.,'Y turnod balustrades Each stair gives aCCOGS on tho floor cl.boVG to a similar hall which runs along the rear of the courtroom Above this ha.ll is a From the hall two sets of double doors open into the rectangular courtroom in the center of the building It has a sloping floor, five windo1JlTS on each side divided by fluted pilasters, clnd a heavy entablatuJ:'e which cZlI'ric':; around the room.. ~10st of the l.nterior fittings of the courtroom soom to date from a.t lea.st two periods of rem.odeling

Behind the real" wa.ll of the cour-troom are -uhree smal..L rooms The t·wo outer ones ha.ve fireplaces "VIrlth simple Classic Hevi val mo.rrtels 0 In ono of 'ljhom is a most interesting ty dovico in tho fo:cm of a met.al cage use no doubt to control the most belligerent offenders

III

UJ

[] Pro"Co/umbil_1I1i

[J 1 51 h CO" \ \I r y

[J 161h Cen1tor y

[J ntl, Century

CIFIC OA 1'[-::('0) If( /\fJpi/c/!1llo on" T(,wlI'n)

[] lIllh CentulY

191h C",nlury

[J '7.01h Century

.----.,-.-... --.,.-.-,.--,-----,----,---,----,---'.-'., .. -"'''---'_---''----''"''''-,--,",-,,, .. ,_.,,,"''',, ... ,,,-,,, .. -'-"'---i

Abor igil1r.l1 [J

[J P r~"i~, lori c [] r~_l Hhtoric 1---1

[.I Aqr Ic,tltv/'-I'I CI [xl, A. fchi 1(1dlJfe [..1 [J Art

[] COI1'1I.ll<ll'H:1¥ [] [] COlnmUI1!ca!l<:>n'l [] [J COI1:\cIj-rvtltiotl !'J

~;TI\-rEMCr,jl' OF 'SiG~J'FIC!\HCr::

Edl.lcl'Jti on r-] :>E

Enrtinemi ng [] Jndt.".! 'ry

I"".-:Inti /.\\1 I , Ll.1I>dscop,,-, []

Archi ".Ie fur\')' [J Litoruhu(l

lvIiliJory Cl Mus;': Ll

Polillcld

Religion/Phi.

IO'10ph'r'

Sd;'mco

Stll!ptUF<U'

SociI] J/Hllf/10n-

itari<!o

ThrJotcr

Tran5JlOrtotioo

c] Urban P lorming

Cl O'lwr (Spadf),)

DCJ.vidE30n Count.y., n,am,ecl for Gr:meral \\f:Ll1iam V3oJ)(3,vidson, Hho 'tATa,S J(ilJEld in t.he I'8voluti olv3..ry 11\J·D.1' J ·liIr:~.s C1'Dated f:eom a part of 'Hm,TOJ1 G ounty on IJE)cmnbEJ:r'

I 9 J 1 (522. It li,TCl,S first docid,od t,o loc,cttc) thr:) county ~3E:)('3,t.. on tho land:3 or : M,~lrt..in Oli\len:3 dohn Moore" cha.irman. of i:lbe n8'lilT county court, purcha.[:3GHJ "j08

aCreEJ of l;l.nd 11po.n YJlTb_ich the proposed. cOUJJt.y f3eclt" Nai.ol1} !,iTaS to be built ~1a,ny lots had aJ .. :['eady been r301d at publ:ic. a.uction '(<\I'118n the people of nearby Lex=Lngi:.on W'8ro ab18 tjO ha,ITo the selecti.on of HaT'ion a,;3 'I::,he Gounty ~:iea,t. I"E)

8vtlluat.ecl nncl to persuade -L.ho t,ure t.o chi.uJge th,o c01,LrrLy ::'l8':1.t to Lcx:Lngt..on" On ~1arGh 23 1 [J;?}'/:J Calcl.clougb" J),) 1.10 and ,.'JOE3:3f) Hargrave rJeedod t.o \John, Hoorr:1;) for 'Lho b(:;:nefit of Lho count.,Y' t:;t'JEmlly'-five acres in Lexingt.on fOJ' fift,)T cents an aero Profit f:romU1EJ Elale of t"hifJ land 'j"TEW to be used to build a eOlJ,rthoW3f.l and ,jail. People 1I,r1'1 hC:lcl purchD,sc)(l 10tlG H,t, .Ma.rion W'EH'e given their mOnE)Y bac}<:, and tho loti:; 'wore rec onv8YEJd to tho or:igin[11 OfilTnE)I'i3. By 1825 a courthouso H(1,S builtin Iexing:t.on. liJhi, eh served thE) county fo.r over th.ir·ty yeaTs"

At. th(3 Fc)hr11(l,ry torm of GeJurL in 'I e~;() it War) ordC)Y'cHJ t"hat a nEn" eou:r'Lw~ .!:lou::;() for Inx:Lnlr,Lon bEl butJt, t.l,nd t"ho COllI'L ~q)l)(drrLc!d cornmi.[~fJ:.Lonoru to nuporirlLclnd '/:,11,8 loc(J,tion an.d building of tho how court.hC>11;::;O. Th<:J bu:LLding 1'da,[-j construc.ted in trw nort.tI.\nT8St. cornel" of thElpubl::Le square 11111,0 squar8 i,\Tas divided into four parts by the four ~3t,reGtE1 li>lhich origina.11y ran nor'th" Gout]'!.., o (3B1:, , and 1rIJ'E)st. from tb.8 former cOlJ,rthoLlSO liJhich .:rtood in thE-) centE';lr of tho :=,/(Iun,ro A. Illorrunlont. to t.he Conforlol·:J.CY nO'I(,f stcnl.c1EJ nODT tho of t.he ol'ig:inal c,ourLhouue In 1918 t.h.o 1,<\In.8 r'c.modE'llod E)xtensively. A. nc,'\,\1' courthOUf]E) Has cOIurl~rlJ.Gtecl :1.1') '1959 on Center street 'I',he ground floor of tho old eO\1J:"thouDe n.ow n::Jecl by a fEnt.f governn:mt, officeG The seco.ncl story J:)'::1.8 berm loD,[;1od by thc) IXlv:Ld:::;on COlJnl;y JlLEltoric;al SOC:letiY U80 as ;1 mUi-)OUrn,.

'J'llOl/gh mu.dl oJ' '1:1110 ori,I~.Lnn,l :LI.ILur,ioI' ,hanlJoon rOlllcY'IJ'od:1 tho ox of t110 oId Count.y- COI.lJ:'LhoUi.le :i.n O{II:J 0.1.' tho Gt. arl.cl m.txd, a.rchi teoLor io in 1:..118 'the many Elubt1e'tieu of it,G de gn,? ElE;pecial1y .~J~1e. ~;~'ea:j E3cal r' ~3plendid p.roportiOni:3 £)"nd d.e tail of it~j heroic portJ.co" make .L t. onc of the I rnoJ'O impcn:'Ltlnt. bu:Lld:ingfJ of' tho c I1\,nv~L VD,} in tho SOlJ.th Thoro. a:['0 InaJ.y n:Lrnj.laI' cou.nLy cou.rt,hoUE~onhut .['Ulil thaL ca,n oqua.l :,Lt.."

Hrlcords Da.v:idc;on C:oun'Ly CourLhorU3C) Office of tJ.IO of f):)E)(I:J (

NO.rt.h 1i1]~Ll1c-:,) :A

Count.y Hocord,s" Depclrtm.(mt of A.[·chivr:~ ,s ( 18 '1'"'0]" (('"t, 'l tlnd Hist.ory., Hal<::dgh, No:dh 1-..... ,lna 1:)!.l·)grOW):'J :.DE)8d.r;~ 1,1'1' ·t'l c") .t " V\I. ,., _.u •

r r, S

DEFINING THE CENTEr< POINT OF .~ Frn"Pl:n fY

OF LE:S5 TH TF:N ACRES

LATITUDE LON I.~\ TUDE

Df~gre()5 Minutes Second" Deurees Minutes SflcOl1d~

o ..35° b.9 · ..30 80° 15 P

o

l1

S l' ATE::; A t'l LJ C 0 tn, TIE.'5 F () R PRO P E r'l TIE!3 0 \I E Fl LAP PI H G 5 T i\ T C 01'1 CO UN T 'I DO U N D 1\ R I E S

As the de~;iGno!cd Sln\(' LiaislIt1 Officer for the Nu

(jOI1Ftl Hif3lor\c Prep,('t'l/u( ion Act of" lq(,I'j (Pllblk Luw

89·()(iS), T hC'n:hy nonduHlc tld.'3 p!'op(~rl.'y for ltlcl\l~don

in the Nf11i()tlil1 r:;er~ip,ler flnd certify (hilt it ha~:; bpen

(-~v8111l1(ed i1('C'Ofdill t; tt) tlli:' I.'ritel'in ;lIld procedu rc~.; set

forth bv the l'hll ionr\l PtJr!( Service, 'I'h(~ t'(~commr~l\Iled

{f'Vc! of sif'.llifiuIW:f' of fhi" nn!l1l1wfion is:

N8lionfll State LJ' I ,null COl

Nmne

Tit /e Dlrec.to.:c.., Dep<'lrtment of "Ar'chIv8~S'--iJii(rHJ,:[3 Ioi=:y--·-------'-'---·-·-~----

'l)nlc:

CODe

c

CODE,

CODE.

[ hereby certify tim! thi(,; property i~\ included .in the

Nnl.innn ] r~pgj" (cr.

Chi('{, Orrico of 1\ rri1o%rH' 011(1 P 1'08 ('tVll f i ("1(1

ATTEST:

rn

rn

c::: n

, i \ ',4.,'. ~

\ \

Old Davidson County Courthouse Main Street at Center streot Lexington, North Carolina

North Carolina state Highway 00mmission Scale: 2"/1 mile January- 1, 1961

Latitude degrees minutes seconds

35 0 49' 30"

Longitude degrc8s minutes seconds

80'') 15' 13 H

-N-

./

\ "