Barnwell County is named for John Barnwell, who was an American Revolutionary War figure who died in 1800.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
E – Bamberg County
S – Allendale County and Burke County, Georgia
W – Aiken County
Created: 1785 
County Seat:
Boiling Spring 1785 – 1800
Barnwell 1800 – present
County Courthouse – Barnwell
Location: 141 Main Street / Wall Street
Built: 1878 – 1879
Style: Greek Revival
Architect: J Whilden Woodward and Associates
Contractor: J H Woodward and W T Blanton
Description: The building faces south and is a two story white colored brick structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Barnwell. The west section has a large porch supported by four square pillars on the first story and four columns on the second story with a pediment above. There is a black wrought iron staircase and balustrade. The County Circuit Court courtroom is located on the second story. The building houses the County Circuit Court of the 2nd Judicial Circuit. The east section which has stone trim around the entrance, corners and vertical bands and is joined at the north end, was built in 1902. The architect was Wilson & Edwards and the contractor was John Eve of Barnwell. In front is a vertical sundial. In 1921 another fire-proof addition was added for the records of the probate judge. The architect was James H Sams. In the 1930’s the red brick building was plastered over by the Work Progress Administration. The building was restored in 1949. The architect was Hopkins B Baker, W F Gill and the contractor was Manor Construction Company. The building was renovated in 1988. The architect was Wells, Law & Associates Inc. and the contractor was Perry M Hartley Company Inc. The County Administration Building was constructed in 1998 on the north side and was renovated in 2012. The architect was Glick Boehm Architects and the contractor was Southern Construction Company of Sommerville, Inc.
See: The 2nd Judicial Circuit includes Aiken County and Bamberg County
History: The county was created in 1785 and Boiling Springs was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was built in Boiling Springs in 1789 and the second courthouse was built in Barnwell in 1800 when the county seat was moved.. The third courthouse was built in 1819 and the fourth courthouse was built in 1848. The fifth and present courthouse was built in 1878 to 1879.
County Courthouse – Barnwell
County Circuit Court courtroom
County Administration Building – Barnwell
Photos taken 2008 and 2020