Wake County is named for Margaret Wake, who was the wife of British colonial governor William Tyron.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Granville County and Franklin County
E – Nash County and Johnston County
S – Harnett County and Chatham County
W – Chatham County and Durham County
Created: 1771 
County Seat:
Raleigh 1771 – present
County Courthouse – Raleigh
Location: 316 Fayetteville Street Mall / Davie Street
Built: 1968 – 1970
Style: Modern
Architect: Holloway-Reeves : Olsen Associates
Contractor: Nello L Teer company and J M Thompson Company
Description: The building faces east and is a fifteen story structure. The building is located in the center of Raleigh. The east front has a central recessed entrance on the first story with vertical pillars on either side. Above the entrance is a large county crest. The windows are narrow and vertical. The roof line is flat.The building houses the County Superior Court and County District Court of the 10th Judicial District. On the south side is the fifteen story Waverly F Aikins County Office Building built in 1941 to 1942.
County Justice Center – Raleigh
Location: 300 South Salisbury Street / Martin Street
Built: 2010 – 2013
Style: Modern
Architect: O’Brien Atkins and HO+K
Contractor: Barnhill Construction and Balfour Beaty Construction
Description: The building faces east and is an eleven story concrete and glass structure. The building rises with vertical concrete pillars with dark blue coloured glass windows between. The east front has a canopy above the first story entrance. The roof line is flat. The building houses the County Superior Court and County District Court of the 10th Judicial District. The building is located on the west side of the courthouse.
History: The county was created in 1771 and Raleigh was selected as the county seat. The first courts were held at the home of Joel Lane. The first courthouse was a log structure erected in 1771 on Lane’s estate. Raleigh became the county seat in 1792 and the third courthouse was a frame structure erected in 1793. The fourth courthouse was a brick structure built in 1837. The fifth courthouse was designed by John B Halcott and built by Thomas H Briggs, Sr. in 882. The sixth courthouse was designed by P Thornton and constructed by Frank B Simpson in 1915. The seventh and present courthouse was constructed in 1968 to 1970. The Justice Center was constructed in 2010 to 2013.
See: Located in the county are the North Carolina Supreme Court and North Carolina Court of Appeals.
County Courthouse – Raleigh
County Office Building – Raleigh
County Justice Center – Raleigh
Photos taken 2012 and 2014