Newton County is named for John Newton, who was a sergeant who served under General Francis Marion in the Revolutionary War.
Created: December 31, 1838
County Seat:
Neosho 1838 – present
County Courthouse – Neosho
Location: 101 South Wood Street / East Spring Street
Built: 1936 – 1937
Style: Art Deco
Architect: Neal C Davis of St. Louis
Contractor: Local trades under Work Projects Administration
Description: The building faces west amnd is a three story Carthage stone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds. The north and south wings are lower. The center section has a stone framed entrance with small canopy above. The windows are vertical and the roof line is flat. This was a Work Projects Administration project. The landscape architect was M W Woodward. The building was renovated in 1996 to 1998. The contractor was Roger Hulsey Enterprises.
Note: The first courthouse was built in 1840 to 1841 at a cost of $00 to $300. The second courthouse was built by John Plummer in 1847 to 1849 at a cost of $3000. This building was destroyed during the Civil War. The third courthouse was built by J C Herms in 1867 at a cost of $2500 to 4600. The fourth courthouse was designed by C B Clarke of St. Louis and constructed by E W Bray in 1877. The cost of construction of the present courthouse was $162,687.
Courthouses:
N – Jasper County
E – Lawrence County and Barry County
S – McDonald County
W – Ottawa County, Oklahoma and Cherokee County, Kansas
Photos taken 2009