Hamilton County | US Courthouses

Hamilton County is named for Alexander Hamilton, who was the first United States Secretary of the Treasury.

Surrounding County Courthouses:

N – Rhea County and Meigs County

E – Bradley County

S – Catoosa County, Georgia, Walker County, Georgia and Dade County, Georgia

W – Marion County, Sequatchie County and Bledsoe County

Created: October 25, 1819

County Seat:

Signal Mountain 1819 – 1822

Dallas 1822 – 1840

Harrison 1840 – 1870

Chattanooga 1870 – present

County Courthouse – Chattanooga

Location: 625 Georgia Avenue / East 7th Street

Built: 1911 – 1913

Style: Neo-Classical Revival

Architect: Rueben Harrison Hunt of Chattanooga

Contractor: George A Fuller Company

Description: The building faces south and is a three story gray colored Tennessee limestone and concrete structure. The building is located on landscaped grounds in the center of Chattanooga. The south front has a large porch with four high Corinthian columns rising to a header at the roof line. The entrance is recessed. In the interior, the building is richly decorated with motifs. The hallways of the cruciform plan cross the center under the three story high rotunda with stained glass dome. The corridor wainscoting and floors have Tennessee marble. The stairways are made of ornamental iron and marble. The balustrades around the rotunda on the second and third stories are marble. The courtrooms are located on the second and third stories. The building houses the County Circuit Court, County Chancery Court and County General Sessions Court – Civil of the 11th Judicial District. Supervising architect was J G Barnwell and C T Jones. An addition was added on the north side in 1937 creating a “T” shaped building.

Note: The courthouse stands where the earlier structure had been struck by lightning in the violent storm of 7 May 1910.

See: Ruben Harrison Hunt of Chattanooga, Tennessee, the architect, also designed courthouses in Alabama in Talladega County, in Georgia in Elbert County. in Mississippi in Chickasaw County, Lawrence County and Leflore County and in Tennessee in Henry County, Polk County and Warren County.

See: National Register of Historic Places – Hamilton County Courthouse

County Courts Building – Chattanooga

Location: 600 Market Street / East 6th Street

Built: 1989 – 1991

Style: Modern

Architect: Derthick, Henley & Wilkerson of Chattanooga

Contractor: ACG, Inc.

Description: The building faces west and is a four story concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Chattanooga to the west of the courthouse. The west front has an entrance on the north with large concrete canopy and stairs ascending to the second story. The roof line is flat. In the interior there is a large open atrium on the north side with staircase ascending to the fourth story. The atrium has a large skylight. The courtrooms are located on the second story.

History: The county was created in 1819 and Signal Mountain was selected as the county seat. The first courthouse was Poe’s Tavern, a two story log structure at Walden’s Ridge (Signal Mountain). The court moved to the home of John Mitchell. In 1822, the county seat was moved to Dallas and the second courthouse was a crude structure built on the farm of Ashael Rawlins at Dallas. In 1840, the county seat was moved to Harrison and the third courthouse was built in Harrison in 1840. In 1870, the county seat was moved to Chattanooga and James Hall at the northeast comer of Market and Sixth Streets served as a temporary courthouse until the fourth courthouse (and jail) in the old armory at Fourth and Market Streets, was designated as the court. The fifth courthouse was designed by Alexander Bruce and constructed by Patton & McInuff in 1879 at a cost of $33,500. An addition was designed by William H Floyd and constructed in 1891. The courthouse burned in 1910. The sixth and present courthouse was constructed in 1911 to 1913. At a cost of $350,000. The County Courts Building was constructed in 1989 to 1991.

County Justice Building – Chattanooga

Location: 601 Walnut Street / East 6th Street

Built: 1973 – 1975

Style: Modern

Architect: Jack H Tyler and Associates

Contractor: Robins Engineering, Inc.

Description: The building faces east and is a six story concrete structure. The building is located in the center of Chattanooga to the west of the courthouse. The building was formerly the County Criminal Justice Center Building and is now the County Justice Building housing the jail.

Other Branch Courthouses

Chattanooga ( County Juvenile Courthouse ) /. Ooltewah ( Old James County Courthouse )