Pemiscot County is named for the Native American word meaning “liquid mud”.
Created: February 19, 1851
County Seat:
Gayoso 1851 – 1899
Caruthersville 1899 – present
County Courthouse – Caruthersville
Location: 610 Ward Avenue / West 7th Street
Built: 1924 – 1925
Style: Classical Revival and Federalist
Architect: Henry H Hohenschild
Contractor: McCarthy Construction Company
Description: The building faces east and is a three story red colored brick and stone structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of the city. The east front has a projecting central section with stone framed entrance and two large columns rising from the second story to the top of the third story with a wide header above. The roof line is flat. The building was renovated in 1974 and 1975. The architect was Henry Creighton and the contractor was Bien Construction of Dexter.
Note: There were three courthouses in Gayoso built in 1854, 1873 and 1882 which was built by Major George W Carleton at a cost of $4000. The first courthouse in Caruthersville was built by Charles B Faris in 1899. The present courthouse was constructed at a cost of $114,000.
See: The architect, Henry H Hohenschild, also designed courthouses in Barry County, Christian County and Scott County.
County Justice Center – Caruthersville
Location: 800 Ward Avenue / West 8th Street
Built: Unknown
Style: Modern
Architect: Unknown
Contractor: Unknown
Description: The building faces east and is a one story buff colored brick and concrete structure. There is a recessed central entrance framed with red colored brick and concrete. Horizontal red colored brick bands run across the building The roof line is flat. The jail is located on the north side.
Courthouses:
E – Lake County, Tennessee and Dyer County, Tennessee
S – Mississippi County, Arkansas
W – Dunklin County
County Courthouse
County Justice Center
Photos taken 2009