Camden County | US Courthouses

Camden County is named for Charles Pratt, 1st Earl of Camden, who was Chancellor of England and leader of the Whig Party.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Morgan County and Miller County

E – Miller County and Pulaski County

S – Laclede County and Dallas County

W – Hickory County and Benton County

Created: January 29, 1841

County Seat:

Erie 1843 – 1855

Linn Creek 1855 – 1930

Camdenton 1930 – present

County Courthouse – Camdenton

Location: 1 Court Circle NW / Highway 7

Built: 1931 – 1932

Style: Art Deco

Architect: Victor J DeFoe

Contractor: B O Short of Pierce City

Description: The building faces northeast and is a two story light yellow colored brick, stone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Camdenton.. The building is 76 feet by 32 feet. The northeast front has a projecting center section rising three stories with stone facing at the top. The roof line is flat.

County Justice Center – Camdenton

Location: 1 Court Circle NW / Highway 7

Built: 1997 – 1999

Style: Modern

Architect: ASAI

Contractor: Dewitt & Associates Inc.

Description: The building faces northeast and is a two story light yellow colored brick, glass and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Camdenton along the south side of the courthouse with the Sheriff’s Office on the northwest side. Along the first story on the northeast side is an arcade. Large glass sections are along the second and third stories. The main entrance is located on the north side with a tower on the northeast side. In the interior, the County Circuit Court courtrooms are located on the second story. The building has four County Court courtrooms and is named as the James A Franklin Jr Courts Building. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 26th Judicial Circuit.

See: The 26th Judicial Circuit includes Camden County, Laclede County. Miller County, Moniteau County and Morgan County.

History: The county was created in 1841 and Erie was selected as the county seat in 1843. The first courthouse was built by William C Young in Erie in 1846 under the supervision of S R Roberts for $4,046. In 1855, the county seat was moved to Linn. In 1867, the second courthouse was built in Linn by G B Shubert and James H. Waldron under the supervision of Thomas Selby for $4,975. The building was damaged by fire in 1902. The third courthouse was built in 1906 using the standing brick walls of the former courthouse. In 1930, the Lake of the Ozarks was created and a temporary fourth courthouse was built by W J Cochran and Sons of Boonville at a cost of $4,000 when the county seat was moved to Camdenton. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1931 at a cost of $50,000. The County Justice Center was constructed in 1997 to 1999.