Swain County | US Courthouses

Swain County is named for David Lowry Swain, who was a governor of North Carolina ad president of the University of North Carolina.

Created: 1871

County Seat:

Bryson City 1871 – present

County Courthouse – Bryson City

Location: 101 Mitchell Street / Slope Street

Built: 1980 – 1982

Style: Modern

Architect: Nichols, Carter, Seay / Grant Architects

Contractor: Wilkie Construction Company, Inc.

Description: The building faces north and is a one story brown colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of the city. The north front forms a ”V” with the entrance in the center and with glass panels above. The orange colored roof is sloped. There is a wide plaza in front of the building with wide steps on the north side.

Old County Courthouse – Bryson City

Location: 4 Everett Street / Main Street

Built: 1908 – 1909

Style: Classical Revival

Architect: Frank P Milburn of Washington, D.C. and Richard Sharp Smith

Contractor: Falls City Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky

Description: The building faces southwest and is a two story white colored stuccoed structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of the city. The southwest front has a large portico supported by four columns rising to a wide pediment at the roof line. The sides has projecting center sections rising to a pediment at the roof line. On the center of the roof is an octagonal dome with clock and red colored roof at the top.

Note: The cost of construction of the courthouse was approximately $35,000. The commissioners authorized the purchase of “a tower clock with metal Bell for a cost of $850.00” for the new courthouse.

See: The architect Frank Pierce Milburn of Washington, DC. and the contractor Falls City Construction Company of Louisville, Kentucky.

Note: The first court was held in a log cabin at Chatham. The first courthouse was built in 1872 and burned. The second courthouse was designed by D K Collins and built by Thaddius Dillard in 1880. The courthouse burned in 1908. The third courthouse was constructed in 1908 and the fourth courthouse was constructed in 1982.

Courthouses:

N – Blount County, Tennesse and Sevier County, Tennessee

E – Haywood County and Jackson County

S – Macon County and Graham County

W – Graham County