Bedford County is named for Thomas Bedford, who was an officer in the American Revolutionary War and a large land owner in the area.
Created: December 3, 1807
County Seat:
Pryor House 1807 – 1810
Shelbyville 1810 – present
County Courthouse – Shelbyville
Location: 1 Public Square / West Holland Street
Built: 1934 – 1935
Style: Classical Revival
Architect: Joseph Holman and Thomas Marr of Nashville
Contractor: Sam McClain
Description: The building faces south and is a three story buff brown colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on the landscaped grounds of the Public Square in the center of the city. The south and north sides have rectangular openings on the first story and six columns rising from the second story to the third story with pediment above, The east and west sides have four columns rising from the second story to the third story with a header above at the roof line. On the center of the roof is a square white colored cupola with clock at the top. The building is located in the center of the Public Square and was a restructuring of the 1873 courthouse building. The building was restored in 1993. The architect was Davis-Stokes-Chilton Collaborative PC of Nashville and the contractor was North Carolina Corporation of Columbus, Ohio.
See: The architect, Joseph Holman and Thomas Marr of Nashville, designed courthouses in Franklin County, Hardin County, Lauderdale County, Madison County, McNairy County, Obion County, Pickett County, Sumner County and Weakley County.. They also designed the Tennessee Supreme Court in Nashville.
Note: The first courthouse was built in 1810. The second courthouse was built in 1821 and was destroyed by a tornado in 1830. The third courthouse was built in 1830 and was destroyed by fire in 1863. The fourth courthouse was constructed in 1873 at a cost of $120,000. The building was burned in 1934 by a lynch mob.
Courthouses:
E – Coffee County
S – Moore County and Lincoln County
W – Marshall County
County Courthouse
Photos taken 2012 and 2018