Dunklin County

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Dunklin

Dunklin County is named for Daniel Dunklin, who was a Governor of Missouri.

 

Surrounding County Courthouses: 

N – Stoddart County

E – New Madrid County and Pemiscot County

S – Mississippi County, Arkansas and Craighead County, Arkansas

W – Greene County, Arkansas, Clay County, Arkansas and Butler County

 

Created:  February 14, 1845                  Map of Missouri highlighting Dunklin County

County Seat: 

Kennett  1845 – present

 

County Courthouse – Kennett  

 

Location:  100 North Court Square / North Main Street

Built:  1937– 1940

Style:  Art Deco

Architect:  Ernest T Friton of St. Louis

Contractor:  Joe Cousert.

 

Description:  The building faces south and is a two story buff colored brick, stone and concrete  structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Kennett. The building is 116 feet by 75 feet. The south front has a large porch with four large columns rising to a wide stone header. Around the porch is brick with narrow vertical windows on either side of the porch. The building extends outwards from the main section. The roof line is flat. In the interior, the courtroom located on the second story is finished in black walnut with walnut wainscoting. A map of the county is executed in the terrazzo floor. This was a Works Project Administration project. 

 

County Justice Center – Kennett

 

Location:  1900 Floyd Street / Astrachan Street

Built:  1978– 1980 / 2012 – 2014

Style:  Modern Commercial

Architect:  Unknown / Shiver-Hattery Inc. and HMN Architects

Contractor:  Unknown

 

Description:  The building faces east and is a two story white colored brick, metal and concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds to the north  of the center of Kennett. The building is a former warehouse converted into a jail in 2006 and converted into the County Justice Center in 2012 to 2014.  The main entrance is located at the northeast corner with a recessed glass paneled section on the first story. The windows on the first story are horizontal. The roof line is flat. In the interior are two courtrooms. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 35th Judicial Circuit. 

 

See:  The 35th Judicial Circuit includes Dunklin County and Stoddart County.

 

History:  The county was created in 1845 and Kennett was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a one and a half story hewn gum logs structure built by Hiram Langdon in 1847. The courthouse was destroyed during the Civil War. The second courthouse was a two story frame structure built in 1870 which burned in April 1872. From April 1872 until 1892, the third courthouse was a rented a frame building on the south side of the square. The fourth courthouse was a two story brick structure designed by Louis Miller and constructed by Shinnick and Robinson of St. Louis in 1892 at a cost of $15,000. The fifth and present courthouse was constructed in 1937 to 1940 at a cost of $178,000. The County Justice Center was constructed in 1978 to 1980 and converted in 2012 to 2014.

 

Note:  The lowest point in Missouri is the St. Francis River at 230 feet ( 70 meters ) which is located in the county.

 

 

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County Courthouse - Kennett 

 

 

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Photos taken 2005 and 2009