Claiborne County is named for William C C Claiborne, who was a Governor of Louisiana and a Governor of the Mississippi Territory.
Surrounding County Courthouses:
N – Whitley County, Kentucky, Bell County, Kentucky and Lee County, Virginia
E – Hancock County
S – Grainger County and Union County
W – Campbell County
Created: October 29, 1801 
County Seat:
Tazewell 1801 – present
County Courthouse – Tazewell
Location: 1749 Main Street / Court Street
Built: 1931 – 1932
Style: Neo-Classical
Architect: Baumann & Baumann of Knoxville
Contractor: V L Nicholson and Company
Description: The building faces east and is a three story red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Tazewell. The east front has a projecting center section with stone facing on the first story with center recessed entrance. Four columns rise from the second story to a pediment at the roof line. The second story windows are trimmed with small pediments above. The third story has small square windows. A horizontal belt runs below the second story windows. The roof is hipped. In the interior are two courtrooms. The building houses the County Chancery Court of the 8th Judicial District. On the north side is the Old County Jail, a two story stone structure.
See: The architect, Baumann & Baumann of Knoxville, designed the courthouse in Grainger County.
County Justice Center – Tazewell
Location: 415 Straight Creek Road / Davis Drive
Built: 2007 – 2008
Style: Modern
Architect: J Mark Rodgers Architect of Cookeville
Contractor: Merit Construction of Knoxville.
Description: The building faces northwest and is a one story dark brown-red colored brick and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds to the south of the center of Tazewell. The northeast front has a central portico rising above the building and supported by brick pillars. A horizontal wide red colored band run along the flat roof line. In the interior is one courtroom. The building houses the County Circuit Court, County Criminal Court and County General Sessions Court of the 8th Judicial District.
See: The contractor, Merit Construction of Knoxville.also construcred the County Justice Center in Campbell County.
See: The 8th Judicial District includes Campbell County, Fentress County, Scott County and Union County.
History: The county was created in 1801 and Tazewell was selected as the county seat. The county court met three times in the homes of John Hunt and Elisha Walling before the first courthouse, a small frame structure was erected in 1804 on land belonging to John Hunt Sr. The first jail was erected in 1816. The courthouse burned in a town fire in 1862. The county used the Masonic Hall until the second courthouse, a two story structure was built by W H Strum. The courthouse burned in September 1931. The third and present courthouse was constructed. The County Justice Center was constructed in 2007 to 2008 at a cost of $8,644,000.
County Courthouse - Tazewell
Old County Jail - Tazewell
Photos taken 2012