Ripley County is named for Eleazer Wheelock Ripley, who was a Brigadier General in the War of 1812.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Carter County
E – Butler County
S – Randolph County, Arkansas
W – Oregon County
Created: January 5, 1833 
County Seat:
Doniphan 1833 – present
County Courthouse – Doniphan
Location: 100 Courthouse Square / Lafayette Street
Built: 1898– 1899
Style: Victorian
Architect: William F Schrage of Kansas City
Contractor: John M Anderson
Description: The building faces east and is a two story red colored brick, stone and wood structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Courthouse Square in the center of Doniphan. The building is 128 feet by 95 feet. The east front has a central square brick tower rising three stories. At the entrance is a small portico supported by four wood columns. On the second story is a large arched window. Each corner of the building has a square brick tower with mansard roof. The base of the building is course stone. In the interior, the County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the second story and has a mansard roof and plaster window frames. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 36th Judicial Circuit. The superintendent was Judge McManus. During the 1930’s, the building was repaired under a Work Projects Administration project. Extensive remodeling was done in 1976. The architect was Jablonsky and Associates of Poplar Bluff.
See: The architect, William F Schrage of Kansas City also designed courthouses in Howard County and Morgan County.
See: National Register of Historic Places – Ripley County Courthouse
See: The 36th Judicial Circuit includes Butler County and Ripley County.
History: The county was created in 1833 and Doniphan was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a log structure built in 1848. The building was burned during the Civil War and from 1865, the court met in private homes. The second courthouse was built in 1871 and was destroyed on January 1, 1898. The third and present courthouse was constructed in 1898 to 1899 at a cost of $20,000. The cost of the repairs in 1976 was $405,000.
County Courthouse - Doniphan
Photos taken 2009