Delaware County | US Courthouses

Delaware County is named for the Delaware Native Americans who resettled in what was then Indian Territory in the 1830’s and who named after Lord De La Warr an early governor of Virginia.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Ottawa County

E – McDonald County, Missouri and Benton County, Arkansas

S – Adair County and Cherokee County

W – Mayes County and Craig County

Created: July 16, 1907

County Seat:

Grove 1907 – 1912

Jay 1912 – present

County Courthouse – Jay

Location: 327 South 5th Street / West Krause Street

Built: 1941 – 1942

Style: Art Deco

Architect: Walter T Vahlberg of Oklahoma City

Contractor: Works Project Administration using local trades

Description: The building faces east and is a two story gray native stone and concrete structure. The building is located on spacious landscaped grounds in the center of Jay. The east front has a central entrance with a concrete canopy. The center section rises two stories with large windows and the north and south wings are one story. The building houses the County District Court of the 13th Judicial District. The building was expanded in 1999 to 2001 with an addition on the west side. The architect was GH2 Gralla Architects of Tulsa and the contractor was Lowery & Hemphil Construction Company, Inc.

Creekmore Courthouse – Jay

Location: SW – North 4th Street / West Broadway

Built: 1909 – 1910

Style: Federal

Architect: William J Creekmore

Contractor: Wlliam J Creekmore

Description: The building faces east and is a two story gray colored concrete structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Creekmore to the north of the center of Jay. Court records were moved to the building in 1912 which served as the third courthouse, and then moved to the wood courthouse in Jay. After the Jay courthouse burned on May 10, 1913, the records were returned until the new fourth courthouse was built in 1914.

See: The 13th Judicial District includes Ottawa County.

History: The county was created in 1907 and Grove was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse in 1907 was the second floor of the Jones-Hampton General store in Grove. A second wood courthouse was built in Jay in 1908 and the building burned on May 10, 1913. William J Creekmore had constructed a two story concrete courthouse north of Jay at Creekmore. The county seat was moved to Jay in 1912, but from 1913 to 1914, the court records moved five times among Grove, Jay and the Creekmore courthouse which served as the third courthouse and is still standing. In 1914, a native limestone courthouse was constructed in Jay as the fourth courthouse. In 1920, a second story was added and in 1925, a two story annex was constructed. In 1936, the south wing was added and in 1941, the building burned except for the south wing. In 1941, the fifth and present courthouse was constructed.

Old Saline District – Leach

Location: 55870 County Line Road (N490) / Highway 412

Built: 1884

Style: Federal

Architect: Cherokee Nation

Contractor: Cherokee Nation

Description: The building faces northeast and is a two story wood frame structure. The rectangular shaped building is located on spacious landscaped grounds of 14 acres to the southeast of Rose and to the west of Leach. On the west side, County Line Road is the western boundary of Delaware County. The building is the last standing of the nine Cherokee Nation courthouses built from 1884 to 1890. The building ceased to serve as a courthouse in 1907 when Oklahoma became a state. On the northeast side is a long porch supported by seven posts. The roof is hipped. The former courtroom is located on the second story.

Note: The Cherokee Supreme Court building is located in Tahlequah, Cherokee County..

See: National Register of Historic Places – Old Saline District Courthouse