Caldwell County is named for Joseph Caldwell, who was the first president of the University of North Carolina.
Surrounding Courts Courthouses:
N – Watauga County and Wilkes County
E – Alexander County and Catawba County
S – Burke County
W – Burke County, Avery County and Watauga County
Created: January 11, 1841 
County Seat:
Lenoir 1841 – present
County Courthouse – Lenoir
Location: 216 Main Street SW / Ashe Avenue NW
Built: 1904 – 1905
Style: Neoclassical Revival and Art Deco
Architect: Wheeler, Runge and Dickey of Charlotte
Contractor: William A Otter and E A Poe
Description: The building faces southwest and is a two and three story buff colored brick, marble and concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Lenoir. The front of the building projects and has a central entrance. A wide belts runs along the top of the second story windows. Fluted stone pilasters flank the doors and windows of the central five bays of the seven-bay façade and carry a Doric frieze. Tripartite windows on the façade are surmounted by transoms with geometric metal screens at the first story level. The roof line is flat. In the interior, the courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the County Superior Court and County District Court of the 25th Judicial District. The building was encapsulated in the 1928 to 1929 remodeled structure. The architect was Martin Luther Hampton of Miami, Florida and the contractor was Hartley & Smith. A skywalk connects the 1929 block of the courthouse to the 1962 sheriff’s department and jail on the east side of Mulberry Street. An addition containing courtrooms was constructed at the north side in 1990 to make the two buildings appear as one. The northwest entrance has an open portico with glass walls. The architect was Northwest Associates, Architects and Harwood Beebe Company, Inc. and the contractor was Wilkie Construction Company, Inc.
See: The architect, Wheeler & Runge of Charlotte, designed courthouses in Ashe County, Avery County, Randolph County, Stokes County and Wilkes County.
See: The 25th Judicial District includes Burke County and Catawba County.
History: The county was created in 1841 and Lenoir was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was a wood structure built in 1843. The second courthouse. The second and present courthouse was built in 1904 to 1905 at a cost of $25,000. The building was remodeled in 1928 to 1929 at a cost of $170,000 and an addition was constructed in 1990.
County Courthouse – Lenoir
County Courthouse Addition – Lenoir
Photos taken 2012