Mercer County

US States / H-L / Kentucky / Mercer County
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Mercer County is named for Hugh Mercer, who was killed at the Battle of Princeton and who lived from 1726 to 1777.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Anderson County

E – Woodford CountyJessamine County and Garrard County

S – Boyle County

W – Washington County

 

Created:  October 17, 1785                    Map of Kentucky highlighting Mercer County

County Seat: 

Harrodsburg  1785 – present

 

County Courthouse – Harrodsburg 

 

Location:  224 South Main Street / East Office Street

Built:  2010 – 2012

Style:  Colonial Revival

Architect:  CMW, Inc of Lexington

Contractor:  Codell Construction Company of Winchester

 

Description:  The building faces east and is a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Harrodsburg. On the east front is large portico with four large white colored columns rising to the pediment above the second story. There is a wide white colored belt running below the roof line. On the roof is a white colored square wood cupola with clock and a small round cupola at the top. The roof is hipped. The building houses the County Circuit Court and County District Court of the 50th Judicial District.

 

See:  The contractor was Codell Construction Company of Winchester which company constructed many courthouse in Kentucky ( see  Louisville ).

 

Former County Courthouse ( demolished ) – Harrodsburg 

 

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Location:  224 South Main Street / East Office Street

Built:  1913 – 1914

Style:  Colonial Revival

Architect:  Andrew J Bryan and Leo L Oberwarth

Contractor:  Falls City Construction Company of Louisville

 

Description:  The building faced east and was a two story red colored brick and concrete structure. On the east front was large portico with three large white colored columns rising to the pediment above the second story. There was a small oval window in the center of the pediment. On the second story was a balcony. On the roof was a white colored square wood cupola with clock and a small round cupola at the top. The roof was hipped. In 1928 there was a fire and the building was restored. The architect was Churchill & Gillig of Lexington and the contractor was Peter Noland Wilson. The supervising architect was Martin Geertz of Lexington. In 2010, the building was replaced with the fourth courthouse.

 

See: The architect,  Andrew J Bryan, designed the courthouses in Alabama in Coffee County, Lee County and Monroe County; in Georgia in Colquitt County, Pulaski County and Stewart County; in Kentucky in Bracken County; in Louisiana in Pointe Coupee Parish;  in Mississippi in Attala County and Simpson County; and in Texas in Rains County.

 

See:  The contractor Falls City Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky

 

Note:  Harrodsburg is the oldest town in Kentucky, settled in 1774 and the second oldest town is Hardinsburg in Breckinridge County.

 

See:  The 50th Judicial Circuit includes Boyle County.

 

History:  The county was created in 1785 and Harrodsburg was selected as the county seat. Previously Fort Harrod ( Harrodsburg ) had been the county seat for Lincoln County. The first courthouse was built in 1787 to 1789 by John Mosby and Jacob Froman. The second courthouse was designed by Robert Neil in 1817 to 1820. The third courthouse was constructed in 1913 to 1914 at a cost of $24,237. The fourth and present courthouse was constructed in 2010 to 2012.

 

 

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County Courthouse – Harrodsburg

 

 

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Former County Courthouse ( demolished ) – Harrodsburg

 

 

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Photos taken 2007 and 2014